Jesus Wept

Have you ever felt discouraged or even "guilty" when a Christian friend or someone from church felt the need to tell you that you have no reason to cry over the death of a loved one? You know what I'm talking about. People who say that if you truly were a Christian you wouldn't shed a tear because you have hope in Jesus...

Baloney!

Knowing that we will see our husbands, wives, parents, children again in Heaven does not exactly eliminate our pain. The loss, even temporary, is still very painful. I cry when my son leaves for a couple weeks in the summer to visit grandparents. I miss him when he is gone. I'm certainly not comparing my son's two week absence to the loss of a loved one. I'm simply saying that missing someone that you love is a very real emotion and one that elicits tears.

I cried myself to sleep every night for six months after Ron died. I missed him terribly. I wanted to tell him about my day. I wanted to hear his laugh. I wanted him to take out the garbage! I know exactly where Ron is and I celebrate the time I had with him and I celebrate that I will see him again. But... I still weep. I still miss him. My grief and my tears do not minimize my faith! Crying out to God makes my faith stronger. Turning to Him strengthens our relationship.

Jesus, himself, wept. He wept in the garden. He wept when His friend Lazarus died. He did not weep out of grief for Lazarus since He knew that He was about to raise him from the dead. But perhaps Jesus wept out of sadness for those around Him. He wept over the effects of death.

Any significant loss can bring on a state of grief. It could be the loss of a job, the loss of a marriage to divorce, the loss of a beloved pet, or the loss of a home. Grief is a strong emotion and it is not normal - nor is it healthy - to keep these emotions bottled up inside. Let it out. Cry, cry, cry!

My friends, Jesus wept and He welcomes our tears. Cry out to Him when you are grieving and let Him wipe the tears away. Grow closer to Him as you allow Him to comfort you.

Sweet, Tear-Filled Blessings,
LeAnn