Misty Eyes

 We talked about life and our eyes grew misty. Talk of disappointment, grief, trials, setbacks, afflictions and the like. The tear ducts reached down deep to leak the pain in liquid form. The glasses came off and fingers wiped the water away. This is all part of the human experience. 

There are times to rejoice. Times to celebrate. Times to laugh, embrace, enjoy, and enumerate God's bountiful blessings. There are also times to mourn, to grieve, to grapple, and to groan under heavy sorrows. Both experiences are part of our earthly pilgrimage. 

One person may experience the pain of an untimely death, a difficult divorce, or a devastating diagnosis from a doctor. On the other side of town, someone else may celebrate the wedded bliss of a youthful bride and groom, rejoice over the birth of a new child, and cheer a long-awaited job promotion. Our misty eyes may reflect the sorrows of sad days or the triumph of tremendous days. 

God designed those watery well of emotions to express the truth hidden deep within. When words do not suffice and are not enough, misty eyes may say it best. Misty eyes can communicate I love you. They can say I miss you. They may also express I hurt with you and for you. Or possibly I will bear this with you.

 Misty eyes form fountains sometimes when we least expect it. During a moving worship service. Lost in the presence of God. Hearing a gripping testimony. Stirred by a shared burden. Sometimes we see them coming from a distance. Like saying goodbye after a long visit from the kids and grandkids. Like sitting staring at a casket containing the shell casing of the one we loved so much. 

Misty eyes are a sign that we are still living. Still feeling the range of emotions given us by our Creator. We can become callused. Hard hearted. Unmoved by anything. Incapable of tears. Hard times can produce hard people. People who give up on joy and the abundant life. People who forge ahead stoically seemingly unphased by both celebratory and grievous times alike. Like a robot they progress like they have been programmed not to feel. 

God created pain as well as delight. Anger as well as peace. Sorrow as well as laughter. They make up the full range of the human experience. Misty eyes often express our need for to God help us navigate through these experiences. Some think they are too masculine to weep. Nobody was more masculine than Jesus and He was moved to tears. More than one strong person has choked back the tears trying to maintain control. I believe God created tears to help eliminate all those suppressed feelings. To leak both pain and praise. 

Admittedly, some are more prone to misty eyes and to ball buckets of tears than others. Tears have a purpose.  God created them. It has probably been a long time since we thanked God for tears. Thanked Him for letting us feel. Feelings can't dictate everything in our lives. Our feelings can deceive us. That is another message for another day. There is a place for tears. Something I figure we all take for granted. 

When is the last time your eyes misted? When is the last time you felt anything deeply? Recall the last time anything moved you to great joy or to great sorrow? May we not live like little programmed robots devoid of feelings and misty eyes. May God soften and tenderize our hearts to feel what He feels. Even if it means getting a little misty eyed along the way.