Have A Good Cry

Tears

Washington Irving once wrote, "There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief... and unspeakable love."

The Science of Tears

Living in our modern scientific culture does have some benefits, such as learning about the positive effect of bereavement tears.  Did you know science has observed that there is a difference in the chemical composition between tears of joy and tears of sorrow?  They are discovering that the chemicals released through tears of sorrow actually relieve the body of sorrow's waste.  It is important to weep when we hurt.  Henry Maudsley (1835-1918), a psychiatrist in Great Britain, must have observed the connection between tears and physical health when he penned, “The sorrow which has no vent in tears may make other organs weep.”

The Grace of Tears

May I encourage you to welcome your tears?  See them as part of mourning’s built in remedy.  And then add to that thought the beauty of God keeping remembrance of your tears.  The Psalm Writer, David, puts it this way :

You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn     through the sleepless nights, Each tear entered in your ledger,     each ache written in your book. 

Psalms 56:8  The Message BibleHave a good cry.