Tuesday, March 18

"Not Gon' Cry"

Oh Mary J. Blige...I remember that song got me through many college nights of drama. I just went back and read the lyrics (in college I only cared about the chorus) and turns out it's about adultery. Isn't every song? My gosh. Anyway, yesterday I was really thinking about the purpose of tears.

Only a tremendous well up of emotions causes tears. You can't cry at will like you can blink or wiggle your nose. Even actors who seem to cry on cue have to bring themselves to an emotional state internally before the tears will fall. What purpose do those tears serve? Why did Yahweh include that in His human blueprint?

Sometimes those tears defeat me. I can be so moved with emotion that it will spur me to action - yet if I'm moved to tears, those drops of water wash away everything, including my resolve to change the circumstances.

That leads me to think tears are for mourning and repentance, to heal us of hurt and cleanse us of guilt. That makes "sense"...but I've cried from joy, I've cried from fear, I've cried from anger, and have even thrown myself several tearful pity parties in my day. The Holy Spirit's presence makes me cry, seeing people's lives changed makes me cry, cutting raw onions makes me cry...ok, you get the point. I cry easily. On a scale of 1-10, most people have an emotional level of about 5 or 6. I was born an 11.

Then there's the fact that the scriptures state Yeshua wept (not just got watery eyes, the dude wept) when Lazarus died. He knew he was going to raise him from the dead. What was the intense emotion that caused HIM to cry? Inquiring minds want to know.

All of this because yesterday morning I was washing dishes and crying, until I realized what those drops do to me. This is not the time to let my emotions wash me out. This is the time to feel that emotion and use it to grow. Regardless of what the purpose of tears are (Yahweh, enlighten me at any moment on this...), I know what time this is. There is a time for every purpose under heaven; a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. This is not the time to cry.

1 comment:

Neubela said...

Wow, you have no idea how timely this is for me. I spent most of last night and a lot of today in tears...I must have been born with an emotional level of 15:-)maybe a 12 when I'm not pregnant. I have been in need of some encouragement all day, but could not even find the words to send an e-mail. Last night and this morning the word time was in my spirit. Thank you for bringing that scripture to my memory, I was tempted to allow my emotions wash me out, but instead I will use it to grow. I am usually not online this late but I guess I needed this. Thank you for sharing. Now that I am done with my pitty party I can get some sleep, I will e-mail my BHAG tomorrow.