Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 2 Timothy 1:4 (NIV).
I have a good friend who seems to cry at the drop of a hat. Many who know him joke about it, and he’s of a good, self-deprecating humor about the whole thing. He can be talking when, out of nowhere, tears come to his eyes. He’ll casually wipe them away, then keep right on talking.
The older I get, the more I understand his feelings…and admire him for it. The older I get, the more emotional I become about things because now it doesn’t take much to put tears on my face. It can be a random thought, or the end of a Hallmark movie (yes, I said that), or talking about a particularly dear memory. The more I think about it, the more I consider that this is actually a gift from God.
Tears are a gift from God? Absolutely. They’re a way of showing on the outside thoughts that matter to you on the inside. So is a smile; so are frowns. Our outward indications of how things are affecting us in the heart are gifts from God, who knows us better than we admit to knowing ourselves. Jesus didn’t give us all these emotions simply to bottle them up. He gave them to us pieces of Himself for us to use in living our lives. Feelings aren’t always a good thing to trust when forming all our rational decisions, yet they’re almost always a barometer of what we think deep inside about an item of reason. When your feelings spill over as tears, that’s a gift from Him who’s telling you “this matters.”
Paul recalls how he and Timothy would cry for joy. It was probably in departing but could have been any time. Yet isn’t it telling how Paul says he’s “recalling your tears” when he talks with his young successor. Looking back on good memories, Paul could tell that they also mattered to Timothy. That could only have deepened their bond. Perhaps that’s what Jesus intended all along.
Years ago, when we would visit family, there usually came the inevitable moment for goodbyes. We would gather up to get the kids in the car, then hug, and then the tears would come. At the time, those were uncomfortable moments for me; I felt embarrassed, even childish. Now I look back and see they were ‘the good stuff.’ They were times when we let our guard down along with our tears to show what matters most. Age helps us to see that better. So bravo to my friend who cries so often. I’m there with you, brother. Now I need a Kleenex.
For further reading: Acts 20:37, 2 Timothy 4.
God of eternity, forgive me when I scorn my tears. Thank You for such a wonderful gift. Teach me to consider them today and to help others through theirs.
Practical Proverbs 