Cry a River

Foot Bridge

Cry a river,

Build a bridge

And Go over it.

Notice I did NOT say get over it. Honestly, there are some losses and heartaches we may never get over.  

So what could I possibly mean by GO over it?

Have you ever been on a beautiful hike in the woods where the trail leads you to a foot bridge built over a gently flowing river? You step onto the bridge and walk right above the middle of the babbling water. You’re mesmerized by the sounds. Your breath is taken away by such beautiful scenery. Luscious growth, flourishing vegetation and signs of life surround you. Instinctively, you watch for wildlife that might come to find refreshment and nourishment at the water’s edge. There you linger, right in the middle of that bridge, taking in all of the ambience? Then you step forward and go on over the bridge continuing your journey into the beautiful woods. 

So, cry a river! Pour out your heart to God. Let the tears flow. God sees each and every one of them!! Let that sink in. He sees and He knows. He knows and He cares. He cares and He will give grace. Only the grace of God can soothe the broken heart. God’s grace is enough to carry us through because His grace is amazing!!. 

The river we fill and continue to replenish with our tears becomes a beautiful place of growth. A life-sustaining source of nourishment. Somehow through God’s grace and providence, the nourishment becomes a source not only for ourselves, but for others around us as well.. 

Build a bridge! Build something that will help you move forward with the continual forward momentum of life. Something that will help others continue on, too.  Others can come, stand on the bridge and enjoy the awesome beauty of the river. They see that growth can come from a season of grief. They too can experience the peaceful ambience surrounding a river of tears given to God. 

Go over it! And go over it often. Go back to the bridge built to help you move forward. See with wonder and amazement how God carried you through your loss.  See the growth that began and continues to flourish by the flowing river.  Be nourished, be refreshed again and again. Find rest here in the peace that comes from trusting God with your tears. 

Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease. Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street. Lamentations 2:18-19