God Whispers - Through the Tears

Jesus wept.

John 11:35 NIV

I didn’t recognize the number, so I let the call go to voicemail. I listened as my cousin’s friend told me to call her as soon as possible. Hands shaking, I pressed the number on the phone. She said, “It is about John.” Her voice cracked as she held back tears. “He had emergency surgery this morning, and he passed away shortly after.” I burst into tears; my only living cousin on my dad’s side of the family had passed.

Throughout childhood I was close to my cousins, always trying to keep up and, yes, sometimes getting into the same trouble they did.

John and I talked all the time on the phone, and our conversations centered around our childhood and our faith. We recalled the first time I milked a cow. The cow got mad and kicked the bucket of milk, splattering milk on both of us. We laughed so hard our sides hurt. John traveled a lot and saw the world from Germany to Turkey and many places in between. I loved to hear of his travel stories. They were so vivid; it was like I was there.

What was I going to do without John to share those stories with and reminisce about the good ole days? I cried and prayed. I remembered the disciples sitting in the upper room wondering what they were going to do without Jesus. Grief and tears must have flooded that room. Jesus knows the pain that grief brings to our lives. He cried just before he raised Lazarus from the grave.

Our tears are a release of our emotions, but grief lingers when the tears fade. One of the best ways to get through grief is to extend our hand to someone who is hurting and walk alongside them. Jesus will use our heartache to help someone else, turning our pain and suffering into something beautiful.

Jesus died on the cross for our sins. What was painful and heartbreaking ended up being a gift to us. You can be a gift to others in your pain, struggles, and grief. Reach out to help someone in need. It’s okay to shed tears along the way. Jesus did.

Mitzie Avera