“Tears are words the mouth can’t say nor can the heart bear.”
 Joshua Wisenbaker

Happy Monday! 

I hope you had an enjoyable weekend!

I witnessed plenty of tears this past week. Some were tears of joy, while others were of intense sadness. I even shed a few myself. There are many reasons to be sad these days, and putting on a happy face when you’re not feeling much pleasure is challenging.

It’s important to know that we do not necessarily need to avoid sadness. Can it be detrimental when felt in the extreme? Yes, of course. But in our lives, sadness is something to expect occasionally. Feeling sad helps us appreciate the happiness we enjoy. Exploring our sadness can also be beneficial as we allow our tears to bring healing and wholeness.

Our tears help us express emotions when our incredible minds can’t access words. Sometimes, feeling is overwhelming, and when words don’t form, tears offer a means of expression that is complete and demonstrative of our innermost thoughts. Tears of joy or tears of pain – it doesn’t matter which – help us remain present with our emotions.

Joshua Wisenbaker captured the essence with these words:

Photo by Ed Leszczynskl. No copyright infringement intended.

Think of the last time something or someone rendered you speechless. Was it a time when the information so moved you that you couldn’t find appropriate words to express your pain or disappointment? Was it when you had so much joy inside that you thought you would explode from the pressure, and suddenly you found yourself weeping? Or, was it a time when the sheer surprise of an event or moment of sharing brought tears to your eyes?

Now, remember the tears. Did they bring release, clarity, resolve, or happiness? Were you able to let go of whatever was causing pain? Or, did you shed more tears because the overwhelm was so intense you couldn’t have possibly found release elsewhere? Sometimes, our hearts cannot harness all the feels, and putting them into words is simply impossible.

Tears and sadness help us keep our balance as we search for meaning in a world that sometimes seems confusing and pointless. Carl Jung authored these words that encourage us to experience our tears as a means of understanding our sadness:

“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.”

Scripture has much to say about tears. Here are a couple of examples:

“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Psalm 126:5 (NKJV)

“Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b (CSB)

This week, don’t suppress your tears! Find a safe place to allow them to flow. If they’re tears of joy, be grateful for events and people contributing to your happiness. If they’re tears of sorrow, allow them to heal those cracked and broken places in your hearts, and be grateful for their healing power. Let’s let tears be our expression when we struggle to access words!

Be Well & Be Blessed!

Lucinda