Don't be ashamed if you're sad!

I was reading Isaiah 53 today. Jesus was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. These days artists are circulating popular and engaging sketches of a happy Jesus throwing babies in the air, surrounding Himself with friends, enjoying relaxed fellowship. These days people seem to make happiness a priority. Billboards sell products promising how 'happy' they will make us. Psychologists' appointment calenders are filled with people wanting to be 'happier'. Enter a church, "How are you!" We had better register 'happy' on our faces or we are suspect. 'Hmm. Been sinning? Into porn on the side? Not reading your Bible enough?' After all, Christians are supposed to have 'happy' as their trademarks. Yet Jesus was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. The Bible recorded that Jesus wept over Lazarus. I know a pastor that won't allow his congregation to weep at funerals! Honest! I was there! It was the funeral of a little girl who died of cancer. There were some tears and the pastor SHARPLY rebuked the child's loved ones for not 'celebrating' her death because she was with Jesus in heaven.  Jesus wept over Jerusalem. I have been in services where a famous evangelist said, "There's a wave of laughter moving across the auditorium! Don't you feel it?" No. I didn't feel it. Jesus wept. The Bible recorded two weeping incidents, but it also said that if we wrote all the activities of Jesus there wouldn't be room in the world for them (loose paraphrase but one of you can find the reference.) So could there be times that Jesus wept that are not recorded? I love that Women with a Vision is devoting one morning a week to dealing with deep heart issues that bring tears. There is nothing shameful about tears. The Word (somewhere) says that God keeps our tears in a bottle. When I am praying, meeting with Jesus, often--very very often I find myself weeping. I am so grateful that my heart is broken! I want to love Jesus so much...not a quick 'peck on the cheek and out the door' kind of love but a leaning into Him, listening to His heartbeat and never wanting to leave kind of love! No! I'm not starting a new trend of weeping nor judging those who are laughing! I love to laugh. I can even entertain people by being hilariously funny! But I never want to forget that Jesus was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. He is acqainted with YOUR sorrow and YOUR grief.  Yes, Jesus took ALL every shred of our anxiety, care, shame, humiliation, sorrow, grief on the cross. We can walk in freedom from all of those negative emotions that can paralyze us.  BUT I never want to ignore those feelings. I want to grieve with those who are grieving. I even want to suffer with those who have lost homes and loved ones in disasters. I want to hold those who are barely able to put one foot in front of the other because of their own inability to stand. I want to help them to stand! That takes being ACQUAINTED with grief. That takes being willing to be in the company of women of sorrows. Dear precious loved one, if you are grieving or full of sorrows write to us! Write a message on our discussion board at Women with a Vision's facebook page and let women minister to your heart. You are loved! If Jesus was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief how dare we stay away from women who hurt!
Cheryl Skid
founder and president of Women with a Vision
P.O. Box 693 Florissant, MO 63032
cherylskid@gmail.com
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and Cheryl Samelson Skid