Tears and Joy

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
- Psalm 126:5

Jesus wept over Jerusalem, lamenting how the people would not turn towards God to experience healing and hope. And yet he was so regularly filled with joy.

Interestingly, joy and sorrow are often connected. As Psalm 30 says, “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” There’s something about having the capacity to grieve well that increases our capacity to rejoice deeply. As many a therapist will tell you, those who shut down one emotion shut down them all. It’s easier to avoid the sadness than to truly feel it. And yet, embracing sadness is the path to healing.

Jesus is inviting you today to face your sadness, to value your tears, to listen to your heart for the cracks in it - because he knows that as you face reality more honestly, you’ll become increasingly able to sense God’s presence and healing as well.

Ask the Lord where you have hidden sadness or unresolved grief today and go on the journey of embracing those emotions with him.