What if your tears were that important they were sought out and collected?

Collecting “things” has always excited me. While my collections’ objects have changed through the years, from baseball cards and coins to Beanie Babies and pens, my desire to amass things that I hold of value has not changed. I remember in my younger days, during my baseball card phase, seeking out that allusive rookie card, finding the perfect plastic holder, and displaying it proudly on a shelf. Once in a while, I would take it down, admire it, look up its current value, show it off, and put it back in its protected spot. What we collect reveals a piece of our heart; what we care about, what we love, who we are.

Did you know that God is a collector? And, what He collects will surprise you! I know what you’re thinking, God owns everything, why does He need to compile anything? If I am right, that what we collect reveals what we care about, what we love, who we are, then being exposed to God’s collection has a designed purpose. God wants us to see His collection. God wants to show off what He cares about. God wants to reveal a piece of His heart. So, what does God collect? Our tears. In Psalms 56:8, David proclaims, “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle.” How amazing and life-changing this truth can be if we but meditate on it for a bit. Our tears in God’s bottle? God is collecting our tears. All of those restless nights, tossing and turning, crying out in desperation, agony, pain, anguish, and sorrow from a hurt heart and troubled mind. Every one of those tears, God picks up as treasures to add to His collection. Each tear is that important to our Father. Every single tear you shed has a purpose and a place in the heart of God. I wonder how often He takes down that jar and admires it and protects it, as I did with my Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card back in the day?

God collecting our tears is yet another confirmation that Christianity offers something that no other religion in the world provides, an answer to suffering. Yes, every other religion has attempted to deal with the problem of suffering by telling us to avoid it, pray it away, grin and bear it, accept it as karma for your past life, etc.. Yet, Christianity tells us to “count it all joy” (James 1:2) when trials come. How can we rejoice and consider it joy when we feel like the rug of our lives has been ripped out from beneath us? Because we know that our Father is a genius at working all things out for us and that He has a plan and purpose for every trial that comes to us. When you feel like your world is falling apart all around you and the tears start to flow, remember who is collecting them and remember that for God to collect them must mean that God is right there as each tear falls. Those falling tears are so important to God that He is willing to be present when they fall to make sure they are collected in His jar.

So, the next time you cry out in pain and desperation, take note of that tear about to fall and remember how important it is to God that He is collecting it. Perhaps, since you know God has His jar out, about to add your tear to His collection, you might want to strike up a conversation with Him; it may help.

Scripture: “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle” -Psalm 56:8 ESV

Prayer: Father, usually when my tears fall, I feel alone, like no one understands or cares. Thank you for letting me know that you are right there and do care, that putting my tears in your jar means that you have not forgotten about me but care deeply for me. I look forward to seeing your collection of my tears one day and hearing each story that goes with them. Until then, please give me the strength and faith to trust that you know what’s best for my life and to always be grateful to The Tear Collector. In the name of Jesus, I pray, amen.