My Tears

And now this word to all of you: You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds.  1 Peter 3:8 TLB

Later this morning, we will be taking some good friends to the airport.  My heart swelled with emotion when they arrived last week, and I have little doubt that it will do so again when we say goodbye.  We've had a wonderful time together, our days filled with ministry, laughter, fellowship, and sharing.  It's been a real gift from God.

But it won't be the first time I've cried in the last few weeks.  I've heard stories of beautiful blind children who were abandoned in the bush and found by Salvationists.  An orphan came to my office just to thank The Salvation Army for his new shoes and school supplies.  Standing tall, he promised to make us proud.  I found it impossible to hold back tears when a mother begged us to take her gravely ill baby into our care.  And my heart broke when I learned of one young person who died due to the lack of basic medical care.  It would have been so easy to save him.

In fact, truth be told, I have a reason to weep almost every day.

Students at one of The Salvation Army's
schools for the deaf

Of course, my tears are often those of gratitude and joy.  I become emotional when I stand on the reviewing platform and watch thousands of Salvationists march into a morning meeting, their uniforms immaculate, their faces aglow, and their right arms raised in a smart salute.  I shed a tear when I see a man who struggles to feed his family proudly place a bag of maize on the altar as his Harvest Festival offering.  And knowing how threatened wildlife is in Kenya, I even become emotional when I see a giraffe walking majestically across the landscape.  All it takes is a simple story, a sight, a sound, a taste, or even a scent to trigger something deep within me, and I just have to respond. 

 

 

 

 Before I came to Kenya, I was often embarrassed by my tears.  But no more.  I have learned to understand them as proof that God is keeping my heart soft, receptive to His Spirit and to His people.  Victor Hugo put it into perspective when he wrote: 

 

Those who do not weep, do not see.

Victor Hugo, Les Misérables   

 

So I don't want a heart that is callous and unfeeling.  I want a tender heart.  I want a heart that sees, hears, and feels the pain of others.  Because it's only when my heart responds that God is able to use me.  It's only then that I begin to grasp how much there is yet for me to accomplish, and how loving and good He truly is.