The Blessing of Tears

The Blessing of Tears

by Kenneth Barton

When I read an inspiring story, remember a special moment from the past, look into my wife’s eyes, or snuggle up with one of our Chihuahua’s, I am moved to tears.  My Father was the kind of man who believed men should hide their feelings and never allow someone to see you crying.  Only twice in my life did I ever see tears well up in my Dad’s eyes.  

The first time was during hunting season one year when he shot a doe by accident.  The buck had been leading the doe and when they came out from behind a blind of brush they had reversed positions.  Dad didn’t realize they switched and took the doe down with one shot.  It broke his heart to have shot a doe, he just didn’t believe in it for some particular reason.

The second time I saw Dad with tears in his eyes was when he had an accident at work and had a finger smashed in a press.  He thought for sure he was going to lose his finger, but thankfully all he had smashed was the very tip of the bone.  The rest of the damage was just torn flesh that healed up fine.  He ended up with a little scaring and a rippled nail, but he still had his finger.

Somehow for me I find myself coming to tears often, over things that others might find insignificant.  A picture of a soldier hugging his child, the inspirational words of ministers, motivational speakers, great music, a favorite dinner, the look in my wife’s eyes, the list goes on and on.

Why do we have tears?  I believe it is the result of deep emotions that come bubbling up from deep within that just cannot be held in without someone exploding.  All our hopes, our fears, our memories, our dreams, our experiences, our belief’s, our values, our deepest driving forces, just explode out of us that no power within oneself can hold such things within.

When Jesus saw the suffering and pain in the eyes of those He loved when Lazarus died, even He could not hold in the emotions that welled up within Him.  Death had no chance of holding Lazarus in its terrible dark grip, as Jesus said, “Lazarus, Come Forth!”  The tears running down Jesus’ cheek as He spoke, all the deep hidden power of an Eternal All Powerful God came swelling up and tore Lazarus from deaths grip as Lightning comes blasting out of a thunder cloud!  Power uncontrolled, full of Rage, the Rage of Determination, the Rage of Hope, the Rage of millions of Dreams, the Rage be it of an infinite number of Super Nova’s all exploding at the same time!  All contained with a single Tear.

When you consider mankind, created in the Image of God, all that is represented within one simple tear.  Within each of us is that same eternal cry for what is good, what is pure, what is honorable, what is hallowed, placed there by our Creator God when He breathed into us life from within Himself.  We are Fearfully, and Wonderfully made, capable of such great wonders, works of art - music - stories, that come from deep within our souls, who we truly are all summed up in a single Tear.