Big Boys & Girls Don’t Cry…

…Do not let anyone tell you that old wives’ tale.

Nigeria Celebrity/Film actress Hilda Dokubo cr...

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Everyone knows it is hard to express your feelings. Maybe you experienced a death of a family member or friend, you got physically or emotionally hurt, you were being threatened or bullied, or your family is getting a divorce. Maybe you are sad. So many situations can make us have so many different emotions, like crying when hurt. You are not alone because everyone goes through tough times.

Did you know crying is uniquely human? No other animal express emotions by releasing tears.

Researchers believe that crying releases chemicals that the body produce when we are stressed and upset. They have analyzed the chemical difference between tears shed by people who were emotionally moved by a tearjerker movie and tears caused from cutting onions. They found a difference in the proteins between the two types of tears and concluded that those produced by the tearjerker movie were from hormones released by the body. So “crying it all out” could mean crying those hormones out of your body.

Another theory from researchers is that crying helps to release endorphins into the bloodstream. Endorphins are chemicals that act as mood-elevators and pain relievers. Both this and the above theory give chemical  plausibility to the assertion that most people feel physically better after having a good sob. Crying is good for you because it corrects chemical imbalances and releases stress that may lead to other ailments down life’s rocky road.

I have a pet peeve about crying. People come up to comfort you and say, “Don’t cry.” As a human (both men and women), crying is a natural physical response to inner emotional hurt and pain. It helps release built up tension and eases pain during tough times. When you feel sorrow or frustrated go ahead and cry.

The Lord Jesus knew the need and was no stranger to tears Himself. In one of the shortest verses in the Bible, “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) This tells the about the Lord’s anguish because of the death of his good friend Lazarus. Another time was in Luke 19:41 when Jesus wept over Jerusalem knowing what would befall the inhabitants of the city because of their rejection of him. Also consider “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.” (Hebrews 5:7-8) In his struggle against the power of sin, His prayers were of such intensity and passion that they were often accompanied by tears. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not.”  (Isaiah  53:3) This tells that the Messiah would have suffering and be “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” so tears would have been no stranger to Him throughout His ministry.

People believe that Christians should be happy and smiling all the time. The previous paragraph shows us the fact that Jesus cried on several occasions. We are followers of the One who was Himself a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. Because of Satan, life is hard. Let loose a good cry whenever the urge hits you. Do not hold it in. Crying is not a weakness. Christians are human and they do cry but in their sadness they know there is victory coming one day. Also, hard times are good if they cause you to turn to God and depend on His strength.

Think on this and then take it to the bank; God has promised that one day He will gather us all together in a place where the tears are wiped away and there will be no more sorrow and no more pain.

“On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. the Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”(Isaiah 25:7-9)

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied. Jesus wept.” (John 11:33-35)

“Rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Cry with those who are crying.” (Romans 12:15)

“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” (Psalms 126:5-6)

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