Moments of Tears

We cry for all sorts of reasons.  When we’re happy. When we’re sad. When we’re frustrated. When we’re angry. When we’re scared. When we’re in pain.  When we see someone else in pain. 

Though the chemical composition of those tears is the same, their meaning is not.

The tears that come to our eye when we drop a can of Coke on our foot are different from the tears that come to our eyes when we look at an old photograph or when we remember someone we love.  And those tears are different from the one that come to our eyes when we jump to our feet when our favourite football team scores the winning goal or when a song from yesteryear is played and we recall a particular event.  

Tears are the language of the soul, and like any language, the meaning of its words are not determined by a dictionary definition but by the context in which the words are used.  Sometimes the context of our tears or the tears of others lies deep within the memory of the soul.  Tears have a way of taking us back in time to give attention to those memories, something in the past that needs healing, forgiving, or understanding, or simply honouring by our grateful remembrance.   

Though more difficult to define, tears are more expressive than words.  They are also more difficult to hide behind than words, for what we weep over reveals who we are.  Our tears pull back the curtain to reveal the identity of our true self, which is often kept from other people like a self-conscious secret.   

Tears not only reveal our true self, they renew our soul, they restore us to one another, and sometimes in a watershed moment they even redirect the course of our life.  Such is the power of tears.

And sometimes that power is harnessed by God as a moment of revelation.

About us.

About other people.

Even about God himself.

There were some moments of tears at my wedding on 7^th July 07.  They were tears of joy, gratitude and of remembrance captured in that moment:  

When Pastor Seng Fei said a prayer for me before the walk down the aisle (with my arm wrapped around Pastor Raymond’s arm as my strength and pillar);

The lovely sight of the flowergirls and pageboys walking down the aisle with Trumpet Voluntary playing in the background;

The delightful sight of the girls dancing with the music (having been their trainer once upon a time and seeing such beauty in their souls);

The flashbacks of memories of my father (his life, his death and the memories);

The words “I simply live for you” during worship and looking beyond the beautiful salix arch to see the light streaming through the mighty cross;

The moment of truth shared with my newly wedded husband in thanking our parents and all our wedding helpers, the worship team, our counselors and pastors; and

The mystery of God’s presence as I discovered his footprints along with mine

That quiet moment alone with God thanking Him for being the author of the book of my life…

What a wonderful day marked by many moments I will never forget!  It was indeed a beautiful day to be grateful for. 

Thank you all for sharing in our moments of pain, laughter and joy!