Since I’m pregnant, I’ve been trying my best to be very intentional and strategic about how I process things emotionally so that I don’t affect my pregnancy and the health of my baby. So that means that when it’s time for me to shed tears, I must be mindful of my thoughts and meditations as I do… As much as possible, I have to cry with good, pure thoughts, and purpose…
Yes, you read it right…
My tears…
Even my tears must be strategically shed.
Firstly, they must be given time and space to make their appearance.
I’m so emotional at certain points of time… Even to the point of quietly shedding tears at my desk at work and on the train on the way home. I’d earnestly look forward to get home or in my car to privately let them flood out to get that sense of relief that they bring when they’re given their place.
I’ve learned that God created us with the ability to cry. Therefore, it’s natural, necessary, and even healthy to let them flow.
There’s healing in our tears.
Tears of sorrow, pain, disappointment, frustration, whatever the cause…
Tears are a part of a grieving, cleansing, releasing process when we’re experiencing loss. They’re supposed to aid us in our ability to let go and let God be God. When we cry we also feel a depth, weight and volume of emotions that should discourage us from attempting to handle things on our own.
But in turn, this should also encourage us to relinquish the control to God due to the immense reality that the situations are bigger than we can understand and thus fix with our own abilities.
BUT… as believers and strivers for spiritual maturity, we don’t grieve like those that don’t have the benefit of calling God, God and Jesus, personal Savior.
We grieve and experience the loss within the context of anticipated healing, hope, and newness of life that’s springing forth from the death and loss we’re accepting into our new reality.
And in this season of my life, I’m out of denial of the transitions I’m in.
I feel the hurt.
The pain is undeniable, so it has to be felt.
And I’m giving my tears the assignment to do what God intended them to do. To help me process the suffering that I’m enduring and to behold the greater work that God is manifesting through my suffering.
I don’t want my losses in this season to ill define my future. I don’t want depression and even postpartum depression after delivering my baby to steal my peace and my joy which would only trickle down and affect my children, my ministry, even my finances… basically everything connected to me.
So I declare that emotional health is my portion.
Emotional health is OUR portion as long as we give God his space!
Although this “downtime” doesn’t feel good, I’m working out my grief with God and I encourage you to do the same.
You may not be physically pregnant, but spiritually so.
If you ever have those tender moments when you’re going through rough transitions, detours, or loss. Your ability to deliver the impact that God created you to have and your ability to fulfill your God-given purpose is dependent on how you climb rough mountains and suffer.
The message here today is to shed your tears and shed them with intention. Let them fall on the floor in a room where God’s presence will hold you up so that you don’t fall into a trap with the spirit of depression. God is doing something amazing through it all.
FYI, everything will be alright in God’s timing. Better yet, it’s already alright. It’s just a matter of being super careful and intentional to go through it with God.
Just remember…
No idle tears. Shed them strategically. Direct them to God.
“I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and LORD, you heard me!
Jonah 2:2 NLT
No moments thinking we’re all alone. Valleys feel like lonely, dry, desert places, but…
“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”.
Isaiah 41:10
Destined Initiative:
Declare that emotional health is your portion in the name of Jesus.
Look up scriptures that assure you that you are not alone and write them out in your prayer journal. In addition to writing out scriptures, write a prayer to God asking for the grace to help you lean and depend on him through your difficult times.
I love you dearly,
Natalia Shelton
