Crying… Have you ever wondered…What’s the purpose? Does it help us release or express emotions? Why do some people cry more than others? How much control do we have over it?
It’s the first thing humans do in the first few seconds of life. Parents listen for that cry and are comforted by it knowing that it’s the “normal” thing to happen.
The book, “The Shack”, says, “Don’t ever discount the wonder of your tears. They can be healing waters and a stream of joy. Sometimes they are the best words the heart can speak.”
There are many instances in the Bible where people are weeping. Obviously it was important enough for authors to write that down. It recognizes how crying is a part of life.
Psalm 30:5 “..weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Luke 6:21 “..Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”
Even Jesus cried, John 11:35 “Jesus wept.” and Luke 19:41.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 “a time to weep and a time to laugh”
I consider myself a person who cries often. I also think I’m a horrible crier! What I mean by that is when I cry I get really close to hyperventilating (I have 3 or 4 times I think). I sweat all over, my crying reflexes go CRAZY, and I can hardly breathe. Sometimes I hate crying because I’m embarrassed by what made me cry. {This is why I don’t like goodbyes.} A lot of times I’ll try to hold it in and that just makes it worse. But most of the time I can’t hold the tears back–they will start falling out whether I like it or not. And even after I’m done crying, the tears aren’t finished for a while. Lastly, crying always brings on a headache and a stuffed up nose.
I’ve heard that you only cry when you feel safe. That holds true for me because a lot of the time I cry around really good friends. The person I cry around the most is Ryan. Poor Ryan, he is quite familiar with my crying. He has to deal with mascara all over him or his pillow and he tries his best to calm me down. Last time I cried he was making me laugh and cry at the same time! It was quite ridiculous.
It seems that each type of instance that makes you cry has its own unique sound and characteristics. Like the broken heart cry… Oh my. Guys may not know this one, but I’m sure every girl does. I have cried this “cry” several times in my life and it’s probably the hardest I’ve ever cried. Or how about the death of a loved one cry, or the goodbye cry, or the “I don’t know why I’m crying cry” (once again, guys probably aren’t familiar with this one). There’s also the happy cry or the laugh that turns into crying.
Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
I remember two instances. Once when I was in 6th grade, my older cousin and his family asked me to go along with them on a vacation to South Carolina to help them with their kids! After they called I remember crying because I was so happy I could travel and see the ocean. It was my first time and I was SO ecstatic. I remember I felt silly crying over that, but I couldn’t help it. Another time I cried when I was so happy was just feeling God’s love and presence in my life. It was right around the time I had first became a true Christian, and there were several times I would just listen to “I’ll Be” in my room at night and cry. I was so happy and relieved that God was in my life. It was amazing.
Have you ever been so sad, but couldn’t cry?
This past fall when my life was at the lowest it’s ever been, I only cried a few times. I just could not cry and I didn’t understand why. The weird thing was that ever so often I would be relaxed in bed and a crying reflex would randomly come out of no where for a few seconds. It was almost like I was crying on the inside, but couldn’t let it out. I think I cried enough during the few days I was at AU to make up for it though.
There are many times I will be crying in a nightmare and I will wake up actually crying. That is always strange.
But regardless of all this crying, God’s word promises that someday…
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4
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