Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing sheaves with him. Psalm 126:5-6
I am told there are two ways of perceiving life: by seeing the glass half-full or by seeing the glass half-empty. I beg to differ. Life is always full- whether full of disappointment, hope, joy, anger, or sadness. When we refer to our lives as being empty, we more accurately mean we are filling it with the wrong sort of things. More often than not, though, we do not control what fills our glass and before we know it, our cup is overflowing with tears. Life has a way of just happening, ready or not. The tears that come cannot always be dammed, nor should they be. But how we choose to deal with these tears will dictate the course of our life.
My family has tasted their fair share of tears, though fair is hardly appropriate to describe the sleepless nights and years of illness plaguing them. Last weekend, my parents, aunts, and uncles went to the San Juan Islands to celebrate the one-year anniversary of a new life- in the form of a kidney- for my aunt and uncle, who were diagnosed with kidney disease approximately a decade ago. While I hardly have the words, insight, or perspective they would be able to convey concerning the grueling and extensive season which they learned to call life, I think they would agree that there are times when all you can pray for in honesty and desperation is a blessing not in disguise. Nevertheless, unmasking the silver lining, however impossible as some may pin it, was a daily choice for my family.
Of course, the easiest route to take when tragedy or trials hits us, is to let the tears create their own paths as we drown in them. While initially this requires less effort, ultimately our tears will wash out our joy and rob us of our blessings. The other option goes completely against our natural inclinations. That is, we can walk with God on the high road even when the tears fall. As we follow Him, our tears will water the seeds along the way. If we are careful not to allow the tears blind us from God’s goodness, we will soon see the reward of filling our life with Christ. Our cup will be full of joy.
As I mentioned earlier, it has been one year since my uncle was given a kidney by his wife and my aunt was given a kidney by my dad. As miraculous as the unrelated organ match was in and of itself, I must clarify that my description of this “new life” is a reference to their health alone- the life they lived while under the diagnosis of a disease may have been trying, but it was nonetheless rich. While I know my aunt and uncle are deeply appreciative of their physical handicap being lifted, I would argue that it is that very handicap which lifted them. The burden of pain proved to be the wings to greater satisfaction, gratefulness and fullness of life. I belong to a rich family. Their wealth may not be acknowledged by Bill Gates, but it is far more valuable. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away- but the person who learns to pour out their life to Him regardless of what they have been dealt has learned the trick to fulfillment.
So let us raise our full glass and toast- to the richness of life with Christ.
