5 Days Of Navigating Hard Times: A Prairie DevotionalSample

He Collects Our Tears

“After what you’ve been through you have every right to be afraid, every right to cry.” — Mary Ingalls Kendall

Traumatic events change us, and triggers from our past cause fear to rise. Shedding tears is often our body’s natural reaction. Adam’s crossing the river triggered his memory of going blind; one slip on a rock and a concussion had changed everything for him. Hearing the rushing water again stopped him in his tracks, the fear paralyzing. Mary validated Adam’s feelings and reminded him his tears spoke of experience, not weakness.

There are some things about brain surgery I won’t ever get over. The intense memories will always be with me. The day before I left the hospital, worry consumed me. I didn’t know how I would handle the pain without the comfort of my IV. My surgeon suggested I use that day to practice taking my medication orally, giving me a glimpse of the reality ahead.

The first round passed without a hitch. Then, earlier than expected, I felt a prickly sensation on my scalp and a dull headache growing on my brow. Pressing the call button beckoned my nurse into the room. She walked in, holding a white paper cup containing two pills. As I washed them down with a drink, the nurse reminded me of the thirty-minute delay of oral medications.

Panic took over as my body trembled from the pain. Tears flooded my eyes as the throbbing in my head grew worse. The second hand on the wall clock seemed frozen in place. I needed help. My mom and younger sister came to the rescue, just in time. They reminded me that God was with me, encouraged me to trust Him with the unknown. And gave me permission to cry.

Living through life-changing circumstances often is accompanied by moments of fear. The memory is too fresh. We never know when it will hit or what our reaction might be. We hope to conquer the challenges on our own, but like Adam, we can’t always defeat them without help from the Lord and the encouragement of a loved one.

God created us to need help—from Him and others. Our tears of fear are not overlooked; He knows what we have endured and who can comfort us.

Does fear from a past event still haunt you? How can you surrender that experience to God’s loving hands? Who can come alongside you?