Will the tears ever stop?

As a young man, I watched my pastor father pray and heard him cry. I thought he was weak, or at least overly sentimental. “Must he always cry?” I thought to myself.  A quarter century later, I too cry often.  No, it is not depression or melancholy.  I feel the sorrow that stalks this world. Death and disappointment come too often and the longer we live, the more we realize we our limitations to control them.  Many turn into cynics, calloused to loss.  I choose love, asking the Spirit to give me a child-like spirit that is sensitive. Yes, a tender heart reflects the heart of the Father. The Gospel’s story is about His love, so intense, so deep, that He entered fully into the world He created becoming for us “a Man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief.” 

Are you gripped by sorrow, dear friend?  He sees your tears. "If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath." (Psalm 34:18, The Message) Sin and death do not get the last laugh and we must remember that. The promise if the Resurrection is at the heart of our Christianity. The assurance of joy everlasting belongs to the children of God. Isaiah spoke of the return of the exiles to the city of God, pre-figuring our entrance to the Eternal City. And what did he see? "Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness." (Isaiah 51:11, NLT)

Life is not all sorrow!  There are many days of joy.  
Birth offsets death. 
The dawning of each new day drives out the darkness of the night. 
The coming of Springtime breaks the grip of Winter. 
David says that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
(Psalm 30:5)

Don’t carry your sorrow alone. A friend who helps us to see past the bleakness of this day to the hope of a new day, is a bridge.  Simon and Garfunkel, in the turmoil of the 1960’s, sang the classic song that says,

When you're weary, feeling small; 

When tears are in your eyes, 

I will dry them all. 

I'm on your side 

When times get rough, 

And friends just can't be found; 

Like a bridge over troubled water, 

I will lay me down. - Paul Simon, copyright, 1969

Is your heart broken today? 

Are you crushed with sorrow?  
Has darkness enveloped you?  
Go to prayer - let your tears be the language He understands.  

Surrender, NOT in resignation to fate. Instead, make your surrender an act of faith that says, “Lord, I need a Bridge over these troubled waters that I cannot build. Be my Savior, my Hope, my Life.”

Here’s a word from the Word for this day. 
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NKJV) 

"For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” 
(Revelation 7:17, NIV) 

"There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 
(Revelation 21:4-5, NIV) 

Go ahead, right now... 
take that heavy thing that is breaking your heart and imagine you have in your grasp. 
Got it?   Now, open your hands toward the heavens as you say, 
“Here it is. Thank you for helping me carry it, Lord. Amen.”
______________________

There is no problem so big,
God cannot solve it. There is no mountain so tall,
He cannot move it.
There is no storm so dark,
God cannot calm it.
There is no sorrow so deep,
God cannot soothe it.

If He carried the weight of the world
Upon His shoulders,
I know my brother, that He will carry you.
If He carried the weight of the world
Upon His shoulder,
I know my brother, that He will carry you.
He Will Carry You
Brown, Scott Wesley
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