Joe and I recently did an adult education class on substance abuse and recovery at a church in Minneapolis. Joe presented first and then I got up to give a brief synopsis of my book. When I came to the front of the room, a woman in the front row was quietly crying. During my talk I also noticed a relative of ours, a young woman who is having a difficult time in her family,was also there. Her eyes looked dead-absolutely without life or even hope.
I continued with my overview of the book and came to the chapter on grief and loss/guilt and shame. I spoke briefly of the death of my daughter but moved over that material pretty quickly. Suddenly I found tears in my eyes and found it difficult to continue with my talk. Joe spoke from the audience. "Penny, read the quote about unexpected tears." I did.
"...But of this you can be sure. Whenver you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention. They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are, but more often than not God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from and is summoning you to where, if your soul is to be saved, you should go next." This is from "Listening to Your Life" p. 237, by Frederick Buechner.
I'm still trying to discern what those tears meant on that Sunday morning.
What do your tears mean? What do they mean in your relationship with God?
Listen.
Blessings-Penny
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