You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book
Psalm 56:8
God knows I must have a ginormous bottle and I’m fairly certain you do too. Sometimes, my “life between the trees” journey feels like someone unexpectedly pushed me off a mile high suspension bridge with just a bungee cord wrapped around my waist. Each week- day- or even hour-can bring a yo-yo of emotional highs and lows. I figure, if God collects my tears and stores them, then they most be important to Him. What amazes me is how intimately in our presence He has to be – to “collect” our tears!
[Tweet “God is so close to the #brokenhearted- He personally bottles your every #tear”]
God doesn’t say,
“Buck up now, everybody has these kind of days.”
or
“Shhh- big girls (boys) don’t cry.”
or
“Quit feeling sorry for yourself. There’s plenty of people with worse problems than you.”
He could even rightfully point out, He’s been through infinitely worse than me!
God doesn’t condemn us for tears!
[Tweet “Tears are wordless prayers that capture your Father’s #heart. #compassion”]
That brings us to the other day – Noah and Sarah are expecting their first baby in late July so of course the excitement is mounting. Is there anything better than that precious smell of a clean baby all lotioned up and ready to snuggle? Every time I see a baby, my heart does a little dance and I can’t wipe that smile off my face. Babies do that to me! 
and to Bethie too.
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That night, after I listened to Bethany praying for e-v-e-r-y-one, including the new baby that is joining our family, she asked me,
3
“Mommy, when is it gonna be my turn?”
3
“Hmmm? Your turn for what?”
3
“Mommee! My turn to have a baby!”
3
Tears instantly welled up. I begged silently for the right words.
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“Well, Bethie, you know you have downs syndrome right? (she nods solemnly unaware of the import) Well, because of downs syndrome, you probably won’t be able to have a baby. You know, every woman doesn’t get to have babies. (then I hurried on before I choked on the tears) But I know that God is for sure going to put LOTS of babies in your life so you can love them!”
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“OK Mommy. I just love babies sooo much! I would teach them and hold them and feed them and change their diapers. I’d be good at it.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak another word, kissed her forehead and prayed that God would prepare her heart for the life that is hers. I prayed He would prepare me to give her His perspective, a heart of thankfulness, and an ability to keep on loving God through future disappointments- great and small.
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[Tweet “God is with us #always- in #joy, #disappointment or gut wrenching #sorrow”]
I left the room and gave God plenty more tears to collect in that bottle labeled “Cindy”- this time sad tears. I’m glad He lets them mingle with the happy tears. I’m thankful He cares enough to collect them. But I’m really looking forward to the day that He’ll wipe every tear away!
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[Tweet “Your tears become #diamonds of #joy in the hand of God. #promise “]
Surprising Treasure: God is with us- in the good times, in the bad times and one day- maybe He’ll tell us why our tears are so precious to Him!
Cindy – Especially loved this one, seeing as I am one given to tears, happy and sad
Me too! I even cry at commercials and Hallmark cards.
Cindy,
Thank you for being so honest and transparent giving other mothers like me grace for our tears! May God comfort yours. Sometime I want to get together and share a dream God gave me 21/2 years ago about this verse. It was an incredible comfort to me at a very difficult time. Let’s not let the summer pass without a visit!
Love and hugs,
Annette
Annette- I’ll never forget the first time we met- and within minutes we were sharing heart issues and crying. I knew I’d found a “bosom buddy” as Anne of Green Gables would say. I can’t wait to hear about the dream God gave you……hugs
Your writing is so powerful, Cindy! Add my tears to that gorgeous bottle (how do you find such appropriate photo illustrations!). I’m reminded of a dear old missionary lady in our house group. We were talking about comfort and telling our best recollections of something that comforted us. I think she made us all tear-up as she explained about the comfort she received in Africa after another missionary died. She said the Africans sat at her feet and wiped away her tears! Must be a beautiful African custom, because when a church friend’s daughter died of cancer, an Ethiopian mother and daughter from our congregation showed up at the bereaved parents’ door with a box of kleenex, to just sit and weep with them. (When they had a death in their own family, we went to the Ethiopian church for the funeral. I’ve never seen such weeping and wailing in all my life, both men and women—they must have jugs of tears bottled up in heaven!) Thank you for another beautiful chronicle! I’m still choked up
Oh Edy- what a beautiful story about sharing each others grief. Our culture seems to want to keep sadness and tragedy at arm’s length- It’s all so “sterile” is not quite the word I’m looking for. Jesus wept- Two fascinating words that reveal His connection and compassion with us. When I studied the tear bottles- I thought it was so interesting that they actually had “little cup-like collectors” (guess they didn’t have tissues
) The mourners would collect their tears and give a bottle to show their grief to the one who was grieving. Thanks for reading and encouraging me- you inspire me to keep at it and that i’m not just “talking into the air.” Hugs sister.
Sometimes, through my tears, all I can see is the Lord. He’s the best thing about tears.
I love you Cindy and I love our little Bethie Boo too! And Sarah, and Kristen, and Noah, and Micah, and Josh, and Moriah… and the other Sarah, and Addie, and Cohen, and Finley, and our soon to be born grandchild, and our grandchild in heaven… and…
Oh Husband- we surely share the same tear bottle- our lives and joys, our tears and laughter have mingled until there is only one. I love you!
Actually–to expand on this:
Elephants, dolphins, and chimpanzies have been known to cry and grieve. Literally.
But–just as learning this has expanded my vision of what is possible….I’ve learned in my life that the Lord can provide for dreams in ways we never fathom.
So–I have faith that someday–in the eternities–Beth will get her dream
Love ya–Mary P.
Cindy…I dont have the words ….but I hope Bethie knows that God gives children to love no matter how they are conceived and I know that she will be caring for other children. She has too much love to let it lay dormant and she may even run a big orphanage for children … teach them about ‘God…really a number of things…but she has a wonderful teacher with you and Jeff and I know she will reach her full capacity out of her love tank. In the meantime…I will have to get my tear jar out and dust the cobwebs out because you sure caused a bucket full with this one love ya
Thanks Charlene- I know God has great plans for all of us and if He delights in giving us the desires of our heart- well, then it’s a done deal!
Love ya-