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EN(dur)ANCE by Robin Gudal

 

I’d like to share with you a portion of a letter I sent to a grieving cousin.

“I think and pray for you often. At times your sad situations overwhelm me. I just can’t even imagine walking the journey you have. I am thankful you are a Christian woman and have the hope of another day. I am so sorry you must trudge through this journey.”

I am a bit obsessed with verses and information on tears; I have been for years. I purchased a framed picture many years ago; on it is a woman with long hair, bending her head over collecting tears in a small vile with the verse Psalm 56:8 (NIV) on the bottom: “Record my misery (sorrow); list my tears on your scroll, are they not in your record?”

I know tears are healing. They matter!!Yours matter.

2 Kings 20:5 (NIV): “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord.’”

Psalm 126:5-6 (NIV): “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

Revelation 21:4 (NIV): “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Psalm 30:5 (NIV): “For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

A whole town of mourners is in Judges 2:5. There are over 800 references to tears, mourning, sorrow and grief in the Bible; our tears and sorrow matter! Every day someone asks, “How are you?” And even if you’re totally dying inside, you just say “Fine,” so everyone can go about their day. Let’s be honest about our pain, our awkwardness and our humanness (which is not an actual word). Quoted from Nora McInerny, an American author. She writes about dealing with grief and loss, drawing on her personal experience of miscarrying a child, losing both her father and husband to cancer within several weeks. “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” is her podcast.

“Greif does not change you, Hazel, it reveals you,” from “The Fault in Our Stars” movie.

If you are walking through a season of grief, lean in and let Jesus help you carry the burden. He cares about you, each tear.

Robin (Beckman) Gudal, intentional in life, is a wife, momma, nana, friend, a flawed and imperfect follower of Jesus.