Tears in Your Eyes
Do you get often tears in your eyes? How do you react to them? This quote by Frederick Buechner changed how I think of tears in my eyes.
Whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention. They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are, but more often than not God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from and where…you should go next.
I keep reading and re-reading it. Tasting the words, reflecting on the content. Pondering on the possibilities. Could tears be yet another gift from God?
Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people. Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. (Proverbs 3:3-6, MSG)
What kind of things do bring tears in your eyes? Random acts of kindness bring tears in my eyes. Or when someone has had a really rocky road and finally makes a breakthrough. Or when something simply good and beautiful happens.
It feels like getting a glimpse of heaven right then and there in the midst of everything. It feels like an angel caressing your cheek. It feels like heaven would touch our very core being.
Tears are indeed good. They tell you that somethings is real, good and worth of pursuing. Which direction then to take? You know that in your heart.
With the words of Kent M. Keith:
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
Be bold and keep on doing good. Be bold and love your neighbor. Be bold and listen to your God. Be bold and go and do as God directs you. Be bold and live for God!
Gracious God,
Thank you
for the gift of tears,
for your guidance,
for random acts of kindness.
Guide us
to know you more clearly,
to love you more dearly,
to follow you more nearly.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Q4U: What does bring tears in your eyes? What did you think of the quote?
Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you listen closely to God’s promptings in your life!
Image design by Mari-Anna Stålnacke. This post is refurbished from 2010. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty, Small Wonders,and #InspireMeMonday.
10 thoughts on “Tears in Your Eyes”
Mari-Anna … thanks for this beautiful post. I’ve learned to pay attention to my tears. For they are usually inviting me to something that needs tending to …
Indeed. Thank you, Linda, for sharing. I appreciate your comment so much. God bless you!
Considering how many tears I’ve shed recently, this was an affirming post! 🙂
Wonderful. Thank you, Carol. May God bless you richly and guide you clearly!
I get tears in my eyes quite frequently and very easily. I try to see it as a good thing, even though at times I wish it wasn’t so. 🙂 Thanks for sharing that tears are meant to be signposts; may we listen to what they’re saying!
They are signposts, aren’t they? May we indeed listen to what they’re saying. Thanks, Lisa! Abundant blessings!
Great post, Mari-Anna.
A friend of mine wrote a blog post some time ago about the physical/medical benefit of tears–on her blog especially for widows. Sometimes we really need to have a good cry to grieve properly, and don’t let ourselves. But I’ve also found true what the late psychologist Harriet Braiker said about them She called them “emotional punctuation,” and said we should pay close attention when they come to our eyelids seemingly out of the blue. They let us know what the emotionally packed things are to our secret hearts. In the last year or so I have found myself going to tears amid prayer like that–usually not because I’m sad, just greatly moved. I guess that’s a gift straight from God, don’t you think?
Absolutely, Sylvia! I also love the idea of tears as “emotional punctuation”. Thanks so much for sharing all this interesting information. May God continue to bless you richly!
crying is so cleansing, sis…i find myself less & less crying 4 myself & more so, now, in prayer 4 others…also, muchLy in worship by The AweSome & OverWhelming Sweet Presence of GOD, or even in times of His Great Revelation of Truth 2 us…O, how we can experience such Joy thru tears, as we shed those precious drops of thankFuLness & Rest in Him. He Cherishes & Holds each tear shed, is kept~saved in heaven<333
Crying is cleansing in many ways. May we always be close to God and his heart! Blessings upon blessings to you, Crystal! Thanks for stopping by and commenting, sis!