April 13. Talk to your tears.

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.

He who goes out weeping bearing the seed for sowing

shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 126 verses 5 and 6. There is nothing sad about sowing seed.

It takes no more work than reaping. The days can be beautiful. There can be great hope of harvest.

Yet the psalm speaks of sowing in tears. It says that someone goes forth weeping bearing the seed for sowing. So why are they weeping? I think the reason

is not that sewing is sad or that sewing is hard. I think the reason is not that sewing is sad or that sewing is hard.

I think the reason has nothing to do with sewing.

Sewing is simply the work that has to be done even when there are things in life that make us cry.

The crops won't wait while we finish our grief or solve

all our problems. If we are going to eat next winter, we must get out in the field and

sow the seed, whether we're crying or not. If you do that, the promise of the Psalm is

you will reap with shouts of joy.

You will come home with shouts of joy bringing your sheaves with you.

Not because the tears of sewing produce the joy of reaping,

but because the sheer sewing produces the reaping.

And you need to remember this even when your tears tempt you to give up sewing.

So here's the lesson.

When there are simple, straightforward jobs to be done and you are full of sadness and tears are flowing easily,

go ahead and do the jobs with tears. Be realistic. Say to your tears, tears, I feel you. You make me want to quit life. But there is a field to be sown,

dishes to be washed, car to be fixed, sermon to be written. Then say, on the basis of God's

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