Day 8: The Gift Of Tears

 

“Jesus Wept”

John 11:35

 

One of the best gifts you can give is to open up your heart to feel deeply someone else’s pain.  

 

I remember well one of the last times I met with my dear friend Kishore.  We got together to share some Korean food for lunch in Northern Virginia. As we sat at the table and talked I shared about some of the painful struggles I was going through.  One of the best things about sharing with a brother who I have known for 40 years was the fact that he could see everything through a different lense than most. He could tell that I wasn’t the same person I used to be.  

 

He could see that I had lost some confidence.  My faith had dimmed. The outgoing and energetic fellow worship leader he once knew had become very introspective and isolated.  And he was moved by what he saw.

 

That day he gave me one of the best gifts I have ever received.  He cried because of what I was going through. I don’t remember seeing him cry before or since.  Perhaps it was because he saw himself in my pain. Maybe it was because he missed the person I used to be.  Or maybe it was that Jesus in his heart that moved him with compassion.

 

When I am stuck and reluctant to take the steps necessary to improve my life I reflect on his tears.  I know that God made me to give Him glory with my life. And I know there’s still work for me to do for Him.

 

When we’ve been hurt the last thing we want to do is open up our heart again.  But to heal and to grow we must.

 

Today, I choose to open up my heart again and let the healing love come in.  I choose to watch for opportunities to empathetically listen to others hurts and in so doing help them and I heal and give God greater glory.