How Beautiful Are Tears Of Thankfulness . . .

Hebrews 5:7 While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. I cant tell you how many times, as I have cried while praying, singing, or simply sharing a testimony with someone, that some bystander inevitably puts their arm around me, looks sadly into my eyes, and tells me Everything will be okay. I dont become offended when consoled in this way (the intentions are good), neither do I become offended when others do not cry while they pray, sing, or witness (God deals with each of us differently). I was elated to read Hebrews 5:7 and know that Christ himself cried aloud with real tears while he prayed. I dont know the substance of what moved Jesus to tears, I could speculate, but prefer to save that question for eternity. I do, however, know the substance of what moves me to tears. Its astounding to me to remember such depressing parts of my past existence and then see the brightness of where Jesus has carried me. It was like lying on my belly on the top of a skateboard, using my hands to propel myself through an endless dark tunnel with nary a window, hearing only the echo of my own efforts to keep moving. Feeling only the cold dark concrete, as its moist residue caked-up and stuck to my hands and face. Everything around me was stale, especially the air. Oxygen was imaginary; as was any type of life-giving substance. Every great once in a while I would find a match that I could light all by myself, only to have it burn my fingers and fill the air with sulfur when I would have to blow it out. That light was temporary; its heat injurious; its fulfillment only momentary. Why do we try to fulfill ourselves? Its madness! Ill never forget the sensation when Jesus opened the tunnel doors and in flooded the light. At first, I was uncomfortable. The light hurt my eyes and revealed the filth in which I had immersed myself. For a short time its glory made me retreat; but suddenly, I could see the truth of my surroundings. Jesus had opened my eyes and filled my body with real life sustaining oxygen. It made me inexplicably voracious for more! The cool freshness rushed in, filling the tunnel with sweet crisp air. It rose swiftly through my nostrils, entering my lungs, inflating them, causing color to rise in my skin. My blood began rushing through my veins, oxygenating my whole body, while the synapses in my brain stretched out toward each other, linking together and opening up an exhilarating world of spiritual understanding. The light brought true warmth to my being and changed my

depression into hope. Suddenly, I had vision; suddenly I was given salvation. The tunnel? The tunnel crumbled under the power of God. So what makes me cry when I pray, sing or witness? The gift of pure thankfulness to my Lord and Savior. When I begin to pray, I ask for forgiveness of my sins. When I think about the sins He has forgiven, the things He has crushed in my life, the opportunities He has opened up for me, the known and unknown times when in all sincerity, I probably should have died, been maimed, or worse; my thankfulness is too overwhelming to contain. My thankfulness flows out through tears. My tears ARE my prayers. Not tears of sadness or despair, tears of absolute thankfulness. Psalm 50:14 (NLT) Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. I can remember praying to God asking that He take away the seemingly embarrassment of crying whenever I would come into His presence, because no one ever understands why I cry. They immediately conclude that something must be wrong with me, so I once felt embarrassed by my tears, then I read Hebrews 5:7 (NLT) While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. I think many people believe reverence means quietness, but what it actually means is awe, admiration, astonishment. My Lord cried to God the Father and God heard his prayers. I have cried to God the Father and remain astonished at His love and mercy for me. He has heard my prayers. Maybe the tears loosed from the depths of the soul are actually prayers of the Holy Spirit, who prays for us in a way that only God can understand. Fortunately, Gods understanding is the only understanding that matters. I love my beautiful tears and am astounded that God gave them to me.