What's in a name? The names of some shops are fascinating. Take ladies' hairdressers – Cut and Dried, Headstrong, Scissor Krazy. How about Smiles and Tears? No, not a hairdresser, a florist! It made me think about tears, which come in different circumstances.
Tears and joy. Something good has happened. A success. A baby. A loved one has come through an operation.
Tears and fun. Remember a belly-laugh – laughing until tears flowed and you fell off your chair. So infectious, others joined in not knowing
quite why.
Tears and fear. Danger. Hard situations. First day at school. My grandson told me he didn't cry but two after children did.
Sometimes children can turn on tears like a tap!
Tears and sorrow. Hardship. Sympathy for others. The loss of loved ones. Funerals.
The Bible tells of Jeremiah – the weeping prophet who wept over the sins of the people of his time. Repentance. The woman who wept for her sins and wet the feet of Jesus with her tears.
Jesus wept. The shortest verse in the Bible. It tells of his sorrow at the death of Lazarus, whom he brought back to life. He also wept over Jerusalem and the unbelief of its people.
The prophet Isaiah foretold Jesus as the Man of sorrows. Jesus, the Son of God, who came down from heaven to give salvation to all who, like the woman above, repent and put their trust in Him as Saviour.
Many find Revelation, the last book in the Bible, difficult. But what could be clearer than the phrase there that "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes." There are no tears in heaven.
There will be joy and smiles in the presence of the Saviour.
The full article contains 293 words and appears in Suffolk Free Press newspaper.
