No Tears Wasted

Sometimes the sadness of this world is just too much for one soul to bear.

My heart has been heavy lately for what seems to be too many friends-faced to deal with some of life’s most hurtful circumstances.  Two lovely mother’s-of-four, losing their husbands in automobile accidents in the past 6 months – becoming single parents in an instant and forced to live without their best friend for the rest of their time on earth.  A young family from our YWAM base – losing their precious baby girl upon delivery, only a few days past her due date and following an otherwise happy and healthy pregnancy.  One friend whose brother committed suicide and another who is facing the breakdown of her marriage.

So much hurt.  So many tears shed.  My head and heart have hurt keenly for these people.  The complexities of life in the aftermath of such sadness seem so overwhelming to me…and I am merely an observer.  What can one do with all those tears?

The Psalmist had an extraordinary talent for painting a visible picture of the invisible God.  In Psalm 56 he renders a beautiful image of the depths of God’s compassion for his people…the Creator’s concern for our grief.  The eighth verse of the chapter says,

“You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book (NLT).”

I’ve opened my Bible to this page many times over the past few months.  Underlined it.  Whispered it.  Spoke it.  Prayed it.  The idea that He carries my sadness in such a way overwhelms me with…well, I must admit the thought brings tears of its own.  How gracious He is!  How intimately acquainted He is with our sadness. 

It makes me so thankful to be considered His own!  None of His children’s tears hit the ground before he has collected them. His vessel is adequate to contain them all! He keeps track of each issue that causes these tears, and his book is filled with enough pages to do just that.   The Lord knows.  And he cares…so very deeply. 

The image is enough to fill my lungs with a cleansing breath and lift my focus from life’s troubles up to the One who ordains each step and does not let one of my tears go to waste.  They mean something to Him.  And He is always working.

Yes, our world is brimming with sadness.  Today, I am thankful that the one soul who has to bear it all is more than able.