Cleansing Tears

Read Matthew 5:1-12 - The Beatitudes

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Mathew 5:4 (NRSV)

Suzanne Montgomery, from Indiana, sat in a rocking chair on the front porch of their farmhouse watching the rain drench her garden as a storm moved across the cornfields. Almost immediately the air cooled, and the ground soaked up much-needed rain. Even though the rainfall interrupted her outdoor plans, Suzanne knew it offered the earth necessary nourishment.

Earlier in the day, Suzanne was in church singing an old familiar hymn. The words touched the fresh grief in her soul over the recent death of her sister. Her tears rushed forth, replacing her repressed anger with renewed hope and cleansing her soul. Though death had claimed her sister, she now rests in the arms of Jesus, healed and whole.

The Bible tells us that the Lord bottles our tears (see psalm 56:8). The Lord cares for us in our grief and comforts us as we mourn. Someday there will be no need for tears of sorrow as we reunite with our loved ones in heaven. But for now, Suzanne wants her tears to wash her clean of the bitterness that clings to her as she witnesses the world's suffering. Suzanne holds fast to God's promise to right all these wrongs. Then, one day Jesus will return to cleanse the earth, making everything new - and we'll witness all of God's creation healed and whole once more.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the rain that nourishes the earth and the tears that cleanse our hearts, in Jesus' name. Amen.