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A time to weep….a time to mourn.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 (ESV)

After almost four years, I still cry at times.

These times do not come as frequently as they once did. In the early months I was like David in Psalm 6:6 (ESV),

“I am weary with my mourning; every night I flood my bed with tears, I drench my couch with my weeping.”

I had to stop wearing eye makeup and I purchased tissues six boxes at a time, so I could have a box in every room. I kept mini ice packs in the freezer for my sore eyes.

The tears had their way with me – they came when they wanted, leaving me drained and with raw cheeks like Job in Job 16:16 (ESV),

“My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is deep darkness.”

I sought God fervently during those times, acknowledging that the tears were a necessary part of grief and mourning, while beseeching Him to show me a way to some measure of comfort.

He did not disappoint. Somehow, I was led to a treasure in David’s Psalm 56 – verse 8 “You have put my tears in Your bottle”. That phrase caused me to wonder exactly what that was all about – what kind of bottle? – and why?

I discovered the term “Lachrymatory” or “tear bottle”. Collecting tears in a bottle was a regular practice in ancient times mainly to show the amount of sorrow in grief. Tears were considered valuable and were treasured. Generally each person would collect their own tears and save them as a tribute to the one they mourned.

Yet, David says that God collected his tears. That gave me a startling visual image of God holding a bottle and actually collecting David’s tears – and if God did that for David, God would do it (and had been doing it) for me as well.

I suppose collecting my own tears would be easy enough, if I chose to do so. Collecting another’s tears might not be an easy task, however. Tears of grief are not shed peacefully are they? Imagine trying to hold a bottle to the cheek of one who is curled up in a ball, or pacing around a room or crying face first into a pillow. Yet, this is what God does. Our tears are precious to Him because He understands our pain.

Would I like to stop dealing with tears? Yes. I believe we all would. However, until that day comes “When He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” Revelation 21:4 (ESV) I find comfort in knowing that when tears fall He is so very close, collecting each one as a treasure. And He does the same for you as well dear sister.

Dear Father, When I think of Your tremendous love for me – that You would bend low and come close to collect my tears – I am humbled and stand in awe. Thank You.