Dear Ones,
Hope you have a day fully in touch with your feelings. I plan to bake and go to my exercise class, Craft time and then Bible study. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Tears are a gift and may show we feel deeply, even when they seem to come unannounced. Usually, something deep is touched within us, and sometimes healing may follow. I do not cry very often, but I do want to pay attention when tears come. We read in scripture how David wept for his son Absolom when he was killed, even though his son tried to steal the throne. I especially remember Joseph weeping over his brothers, even though they sold him as a slave. Then there was the time when Jesus was reclining at the table of a Pharisee, and a woman came and anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears. (Luke 7)

We should be open to deep emotions and welcome tears that surface. David had tears, as expressed in Psalm 30 when the temple was dedicated. He said in verse 8, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Tears are often present when we are experiencing new beginnings…like the birth of our first child or a marriage ceremony of friends. But as many wonderful experiences we have, we are not meant to live on spiritual highs, but also to experience the closeness of the Lord in our trials and desert places. In Psalm 63:1, David says he thirsts for the Lord in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Those times help us to grow in maturity as we turn our hearts to the Lord and feed on His promises. We are reminded how empty we are apart from the Lord and how much we need Him. We need the Lord whether we are on the mountain top or in the valley, for He is always there, always present for us.

Just like my marriage to Al, we don’t feel continual ecstasy, but enjoy the moments of being together and sharing our lives in openness and honesty. We recognize one another as God’s gift to us until death do us part. Sometimes there are tears and sometimes laughter, but we want to keep growing closer to each other and ever closer to the Lord. The Lord is always with us through the ebb and flow of life.

Challenge for today: Reflect on the words of the hymn: “There’s within my heart a melody. Jesus whispers sweet and low: Fear not I am with thee, peace, be still, in all of life’s ebbs and flow. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go.”
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

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