A Good Cry
The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. Lamentations 3:25 (NLT)
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
Insight
It doesn't take much for me to cry: Hallmark commercials, a country song about a boy and his grandpa, a hand-written note from a beloved friend that speaks encouragement and life into a mundane moment. I have felt things deeply my whole life, and those feelings often spill over into a cascading waterfall of tears. I used to hate that. I hate that when I cry, I usually cannot speak. It can be so frustrating.
I used to hate crying so easily, but something has changed. I still cry, but now the tears represent something more than feelings. The older I get, the more I collide with the many things I thought I understood or knew about myself. Navigating my emotions is one of those things. Feeling so deeply and being moved to tears teaches me to be grateful for the gift of feeling. In the recent season of great sorrow and loss, there were times when I felt numb - I didn't feel or was afraid to let myself feel. The fear of an endless stream of tears running down my face and feeling like I couldn't breath paralyzed me.
I remember how frightening that thought was - numbness, paralysis. But I also remember the goodness of God as I chose to be purposefully determined to wait for Him, to cling to Him, to trust Him, and to entrust myself and all the cares that weighed heavily upon me into His able hands.
Gratitude replaced fear; it cultivated delight, and it nurtured trust.
I'm learning to pay better attention to others' feelings too. That country song about a boy and his grandpa is one of many songs that pop up in a text from my young adult son. And I empathize with the sadness and loss we've both experienced. I'm so grateful to feel those emotions. Yes, they are overwhelming at times and can be downright painful, but to delight in the blessing of knowing those two shared something so special is pure joy - a gift from our Heavenly Father.
Even though those feelings bring a flood of tears, they are not despised but cradled in my heart. God is teaching me to delight in something that I once dreaded. There's been a shift in my perspective. Instead of hating to ugly cry, I'm learning to embrace and receive, hopefully and expectantly, something new being formed within me. So much to delight in! The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly on Him; to those who seek Him.
Reflection
Can you think of a time when your emotions got the best of you? How did you feel? How did you work through the chaos? Would you consider the possibility of gratitude replacing that craziness?
Pause for a moment and ponder: What would it look like for you to choose to be purposefully determined to wait on the Lord, to cling to Him amid your circumstance? Will you practice training your eyes to look for God's goodness?
Is there something God is doing within you to encourage others?
Prayer
Abba Father, You are so good! Thank you for how You meet us right where we are. We are astounded by Your mercy and love! Giving it all back to You in praise and adoration is good, for You are worthy! You are good! You are faithful! You are our sovereign! Thank you for the tears and the ability to feel things deeply and have emotions. Thank you for teaching me to delight in something that I once dreaded. Lord, I give You all my emotions, whole being, and everything it feels and expresses. May You be glorified in me and through me today and always. Let it be so in Jesus' name, amen.
Polly Clawson, Equipping Coordinator, wrote today's devotional.