Crying Out to God

2 Samuel 22:7
In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.

The last month of so, it has seemed that every time I opened an e-mail or picked up my phone, it was more bad news. The death of a loved one, a divorce, the loss of a job, another cancer diagnosis, a wayward child. Friends were hurt, sick, depressed, burdened, and crying. And because it's just who I am...I cried right along with them! Just ask anyone who knows me, especially my husband and children, and they will tell you that I am a crier. I tear up during sad movies that I've seen dozens of times. I bawl my eyes out at graduations, choir concerts, baptisms and weddings. Last week, I cried half way to school because I ran over a turtle and killed it.

When I called Mike and told him, he said "Ooohh...that's bad. Probably don't want to do that again."

"You're right, I don't. It was so sad!" I was still upset.

"No, you'll tear up your tires from the broken shell." He reasoned. His lack of remorse for the turtle who had crawled in front of my Explorer made me laugh.

King Solomon, Son of King David, and the man that God bestowed ultimate wisdom upon, tells us in Ecclesiastes that there is a time to laugh and a time to cry. Crying, according to research removes toxins from the body that build up with stress. Stress is bad for the heart, brain and various organs, so crying is actually GOOD for you. HA! I should be the healthiest person alive!

But it is David that I draw comfort from. He wasn't afraid to cry when the chips were down: when his infant son was ill; when he stood in the presence of his enemies; when his friend Johnathon died. And each time that he cried out...God met him there.

So when you feel defeated and think you can't go on, go ahead and cry...then cry out to God, knowing that He will hear your cries.