Luke 22:62 – And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. (KJV)

Genesis 33:4 – And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. (KJV)

The passing of my dad caused me to look back on my youth, and brought back memories of my mother, a strong woman who never cried. Being close to her, I thought crying was a sign of weakness, and I, like her, never let any one see me cry. I took refuge in the solitude of my own room. That was the only place I cried.

Time passed and melted into years; I married, and we had our first child, a beautiful baby girl. She was a preemie, and my, how she could cry! Night after night she cried, and my years of holding in my tears suddenly cracked like the shattering of a glass. I tried, but no longer could I hold my emotions in. The medical profession called it a depressive reaction, but, in fact, it was a nervous breakdown.

Horror of all horrors that this could happen to me, but it did.

I thought that this was something that I would never talk about. I felt ashamed, until I learned and understood that it is an illness that can be cured. Now I feel the need to share this with you, because it is a misconception that we have when we think that to be strong is not to cry.

From my experience, you can know we will pay dearly by holding back, not letting out the grief we suffer from within.

I thank God that I have learned how to cry and not to be ashamed. God gave me wisdom as I found new strength, not weakness, when I cry.

For those who suffer in a similar way, there is hope in His strength. We can learn there is no shame in opening up the floodgates to cry, for God will comfort us in our plight. He will lift us up in love, renewing our spirit to life made new in Him.

John 11:35 – Jesus wept. (KJV)

Prayer: Dear and most loving Father, we give thanks that You hold us in Your tender loving arms. We pray for those whose need is to let go and cry. May we feel Your touch as You lift us up, renewed in strength. Man or woman, let us never be ashamed to cry as we are reminded that Jesus wept. Amen.

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About the author:

Anne Russell <annerussell80@gmail.com>
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
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