Dec 17 2008
Tears: Weakness or Strength
by Kathleen Fellows
I tell my children that tears are God’s provision for cleansing.
When you get dust or other foreign matter in your eyes you cry. You cry because it hurts and the tears can wash away the dirt.
When you hold negative feelings inside this can create tension. The ensuing headache or muscle tension hurts so bad you want to cry. If you get a massage you might be surprised to find yourself crying. Sometimes releasing the tension brings forth tears; other times crying releases the tension. Tears wash away the negativity or at least bring it to the surface where it can be more easily disposed of.
My children say that the rain is God crying. This is not a unique idea in the least. The air after a rain always smells cleaner, feels lighter, and looks brighter. I like to believe that God’s tears have the power to cleanse the world.
This past year I have cried a river of tears. Death, loss of friendships, major life changes, broken trusts – these have been fuel for the tear fountain. Sometimes I have forgotten to let myself cry and I have paid the price. My body has screamed at me through pain. When my youngest daughter didn’t express her sadness she came down with pneumonia. My autistic son, without an outlet for his feelings, had a seizure. When you consider the options, tears seem pretty harmless.
There is a flip side to tears; happiness.
Joy that is so overwhelming you can’t contain it. If you try to hold it inside you burst at the seams and spring a leak, tears. Laughter? Aren’t tears the opposite of laughter? How can you laugh and laugh to the point that tears are streaming down your face? I guess laughter is another physical release that results in a flood of emotions, thus tears.
Every time I receive another request for prayer I hurt so deeply for the ones needing prayer. I know that prayer is the most I can do for them but I want to do so much more. I feel so helpless. At times like these I want to cry but I usually don’t. I have resolved to cry whenever I feel the urge. When I hear about a child in pain I will cry. If you tell me your relationship is in trouble I will pray and I will cry for you. When you have good news to share I will rejoice and cry out to God in praise.
This evening my 12 year old was suffering from a headache. I could see the pain in his eyes. I gave him permission to come into my arms and cry. I held him while he wept. My instinct was to shush him then I remembered that he needed to cry. I told him it was okay and to just feel whatever he was feeling. I even joined him. For five minutes we hugged each other and cried. A couple of other children heard us crying and decided to join in. It didn’t matter the reason for the tears. What mattered is that we were there for each other. We can all be there for one another, a shoulder to cry on or a friend to cry with.
