Take Time To Weep
December 8
You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?”
Psalm 56:8 NKJV
Up until recently, I’d never lost a parent or anyone in my immediate family. But on August 18th, 2013, that changed. My father-in-law, Thomas Jefferson ‘TJ’ Bowman, succumbed to the process of natural death. His ninety-six year old body was worn out and his will to live finally lost the battle. TJ’s goal was to live until he hit the century mark, and until a month before his death we all figured he had that in the bag.
As I reflect on our relationship I’m happy to say we were very close. For more than thirty-five years he’d been a second father to me.
One of TJ’s greatest aspirations was for somebody in the family to write a book about his life. It was my privilege to include some of his life lessons in my first devotional, ‘Snapshots: A Spiritual Look At Daily Life’.
With TJ slipping away we decided to celebrate his birthday a week early, so I went to get a cake. As I watched the baker write ‘Happy 96th Birthday, Daddy!’ I found myself overcome with emotion. She handed the cake across the counter and wished me a wonderful day. Not trusting my voice I forced a smile, nodded my appreciation, and headed for the self-checkout. Not that I am ashamed to cry, I just didn’t want to lose it in a supermarket, void of anyone who would understand.
“Hi Craig! How are you?” came the greeting. As I turned, Amy could tell I’d been crying. Regaining composure I explained.
“Ohhh… I’m sorry for your pain.”
Which started me weeping again…
†
In today’s text David tells us that God cares for us so deeply that He sees and keeps every tear we cry. TJ’s passing made me keenly aware that the weeping I’d observed during others’ loss would now become a part of my life for a time.
Allowing our emotions the freedom to surface brings us one step closer to the healing God provides through cleansing tears. Whether it’s with someone you feel safe, or by yourself, take time to mourn your loss, and weep knowing God will collect each tear.
Prayer
“Father God, use the tears I cry to bring peace and healing to my broken heart. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
No comments:
Post a Comment