“Jesus Wept.”

What do you do when you’re hurting? For me, I cry. Like Jesus did.

It’s an easy release to a difficult feeling, those stolen moments of tears when you hope no one will know. There’s the feeling bottled up inside of “what do I do,” “what can I do,” “what should I not do?” I’m one of those people who wants to fix it. I try real hard in the beginning to not do anything wrong, to not be out of line, or be judgmental. Sometimes when I’m trying really hard I feel judged myself. Is this just me? I try NOT to break anything, or cause discomfort or dissension. So how do I rectify the problem? For me, I guess I should stay out of sight, out of the way, out of the line of fire, but that does NOT always work. Ever feel like it didn’t matter what you did? I’ve learned you can’t please everyone no matter how hard you try. I can’t rectify the problem. I can’t hide. I can’t stay out of the way but I can keep on trying! And I can keep on praying!

Hebrews 5:7 says, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.” What a beautiful yet heart breaking verse! And we know Jesus never gave up. Still doesn’t! Jesus kept on going even through the rejection, Luke 9:52-56. I have to remind myself that my all powerful, all gracious, all merciful to me Heavenly Hero, Jesus, went thru all this! And as verse 56 of Luke 9 says they went on to another village. They simply kept on going! Does that make you think of the Energizer bunny? If Jesus went through the dissensions, problems, distractions, and persecutions, I should be able to also, especially since He is with me! After all, my sins added to His hurting, His tears! I think most importantly, I need to be thankful! Thankful with an attitude of gratitude, a desire in my heart to keep on doing what I know I should no matter where the problem, the dissension, the distraction, the persecution is coming from. Jesus told us, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me,” Matthew 25:45. Do we do this? Do we keep on plugging along doing good, doing what is right, for the sake of others? When I start to cry over whatever or whoever has me hurting I remind myself of the tears Jesus shed and shed for me and my tears turn toward Him, away from me and it never fails to soften my heart. It is then that my hurts, my issues, always seem to start to resolve themselves somehow, someway.

Are we living 2 Corinthians 8:21? It says, “For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.” Thank You, Jesus, for everything! Thank you for the way you give comfort, peace, resolution, and for the ability to pray my problems to you! Thank you for my pain that I may know you better! As I laid down my pencil from writing this and opened the newspaper I saw a picture of a child praying, the caption beside her read, “The Gratitude Attitude.” Thank You, God! Be the reason someone else is Thankful!