He Records Each Tear

October 2

Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?

Psalm 56:8 NKJV

Going through Helen’s belongings was proving to be as difficult as Ken figured it would be. Having experienced the pain of loss before, he’d put it off for the first six months following his wife’s death. Today he hoped that sorting through things might bring some comfort and chase away his melancholy.

As Ken opened the ornate jewelry box, his eyes fell on the small vial with the purple ribbon tied around the neck. His tears began anew. “I forgot about this, Lenny…” he silently whispered. Holding the little glass container at eye level, he read the small tag he himself had attached to the vial, “He knows your pain and has recorded every tear. He misses nothing and comforts your soul.” His crying intensified until he was sobbing.

Twenty years ago, they’d lost their oldest daughter, Laura, to cancer. At a time when he and Helen needed comfort and the assurance that God was aware of their pain, a friend had given them a plaque with Psalm 56:8 written over the picture of a scroll with God’s hand holding a quill.

This was a special vial. For in it was their daughter’s tears, tears Ken had wiped from Laura’s eyes and placed in this vial during her battle. He’d given the vial to Helen as a reminder that God was keeping track of her heartache, one tear at a time.

Reminded of how they’d weathered that storm, Ken found renewed hope for the future.

†

In the midst of our deepest pain we have more questions than answers. And sometimes God feels far away, distant and aloof. But through each trial we face He offers comfort, sometimes through a verse of scripture, sometimes through a kind word from a friend, always in a way He hopes we’ll recognize as personal.

Does it end the pain? Not entirely. But He offers us healing, and promises to make it bearable if we’ll give Him our burden.

Thanks to David, we can take comfort in the knowledge that God not only knows about our heartache, but catches and records every tear…because that’s what a loving Father does.

Prayer

“In this dark night of my soul, Lord, catch and record each tear I cry. Give me hope for the future. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Awaken the Dawn

October 1

I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, Lord…for great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Psalm 57:8, 9, 10

Sitting in the pre-dawn woods, Eric and Corey anticipated the morning’s hunt…and the display they were about to witness.

As the sun began its ascent in the southeastern sky mute colors began to trace their way across the horizon. First to appear was a deep purple, barely noticeable through the trees. With just enough clouds in the sky to receive the tints and hues of a Mid Western sunrise, the hunting partners watched the day begin. The parade of color was captivating. Each passing moment brought subtle, almost imperceptible changes. Shades of pastel light began appearing as if they were being painted on a canvas: cobalt blue, lavender, pink; all mingled to create a celestial pallet. Moments later, burnt umbra began spreading tendrils of brightening luminescence north and south, inching higher in the sky.

Finally, as the golden sphere of the sun peeked above the hills, the lighter blue of daylight began to bring definition and detail to the woods. Shadows were chased into hiding. Animals that had been moving under the cover of darkness were now visible.

Corey and Eric began surveying their surroundings, grinning at each other with a knowing smile. They’d shared enough sunrises to know what the other was thinking: What a way to spend the morning!

†

There are few things that rival the magnificence of a sunrise when viewed from nature’s vantage point. Witnessing such splendor from introduction to finale is God’s visual utterance of Paul’s verbal declaration: For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities…have been clearly seen… Romans 1:20

Sadly, many of us regard the freshest part of the day as but the beginning of another struggle; we can no longer see the beauty of God’s “Good Morning!” Numb to His greeting, we lose the ability to be moved and lifted by such a display, above our struggles, giving us a better position from which to gain perspective for today.

If you’ve missed today’s sunrise do your soul a favor…get up early enough to bear witness to Tomorrow’s.

Prayer

“Lord, teach me to see things as You see them. Open the eyes of my heart and bring a fresh perspective to my day. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”