Tuesday was an emotional day for me at Community Bible Study. I am taking a new role in CBS, that of Area Director, and therefore will not be able to serve as Teaching Director for my class any more. Sniff. Tuesday was my last teaching, sniff, sniff, and I announced my new role to the class. Needless to say, I sniffled.
I am convinced that God is calling me to this new position, but that doesn’t make it any easier to leave the old. I have loved teaching the Bible. I have loved all the people in my class. I will continue to love in a new role and from a new perspective, and I’ll be watching for other opportunities to exercise my teaching gift.
Why can’t I keep my tears in check?!? It is a distraction. It messes up my mascara. I don’t want it to be about me. My eyes get all red. Sniff.
I get tired of apologizing every time I cry when I pray, when I am moved by the Spirit, and when I am involved in anything remotely emotional so, instead of treating my tears like something I should be ashamed of I’ve decided to call them a spiritual gift. There is apparently nothing I can do about it, so I might as well go with it.
While wiping my eyes, and to lighten things up a bit, I often say, “I have the spiritual gift of tears.” We laugh. It helps a little.
Healing, wisdom, mercy, administration, and many other gifts are given to us by God when we become Christians. Those gifts all sound so important, so meaningful. The gift of tears is, well, mostly embarrassing.
Me and my tears will make this transition. I am working through the in-between stage of missing the old before really knowing the new, but I know it will be good.
A friend of mine told me years ago that God keeps our tears in a bottle and records them. That has encouraged me many times, and all I can say is that I must have a decent sized bottle.
“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” Psalm 56:8
Can anyone relate to the spiritual gift of tears?
Quotes from quotegarden.com
Connecting Dots...to God 
Take your own advice and let the tears flow, Judy. They are an expression of how much you care.
Judy – you can take comfort our Lord himself shed tears (John 11:35). I am quite certain our embarrassment is a learning from this world, and not from our creator. God gave us tear ducts for a reason, might as well put them to good use.
I cried when I saw the movie, “Lassie Come Home.” But aw right, Pilgrim, who wouldn’t cry at a sad doggie story like that, huh?
As the Lord has broken the rocks off my heart over the years, I cry a lot. I only have to look at a photo of a poor child in India, Manila, or anywhere in Asia, to break down crying.
So, when you get to heaven, look for the tall guy with curly hair and a long ponytail (me), we can check out our bottles of tears together.
Perfect – you’ve got a deal, Larry!
God’s blessings in your new role Judy! I can’t wait to hear all about–that means a lunch date is in order : )
Thanks Carol – lunch sounds good:)
I’m not generally an emotional person at all. But sometimes when I pray out loud I do get all teared up! So I can relate to that. And I also feel embarrassed by it. Congrats on your new position and I pray it goes well for you in this new area of service.
Thanks Laura:)
Thank you for this. I am having the opposite struggle. As I navigate a new space where there is heartache, grief, sorrow and loss, I find I am void of tears. I have had to “suck it up” for so long, it seems that there are no tears to shed. As always, food for thought as I prayerfully seek Him.
Shannon, I’m so sorry to hear that are dealing with heartache. Who knows if tears would help, but I will pray that you would be free to let them flow. I know many people who don’t cry at all, and although I wonder how they do it, perhaps it is just their temperament. May the Lord give you peace and rest and…tears. Judy