Through Eyes That Have Cried

There are many things that can only be seen through eyes that have cried. —Oscar Romero

Divorce

Diagnosis of cancer

Husband who is not a believer

A child who is addicted to drugs

An unplanned pregnancy

Crippling anxiety

Losing a job

Being homeless, living in a car

Physical abuse in the home

Depression

Death of a child

Chronic pain

Dependency on alcohol

Trauma from having been sexually abused as a child

Served time in prison, unable to get work as a felon

Struggling to get off of methadone

Teenage child ran away from home

Haunted by memories of being raped

Had to drop out of school in order to work

A young child in the hospital

Deep insecurity

Death of a spouse

Being unwanted—as a teenage foster child

Unable to pay bills, children in the home with food insecurity

Lived entire life with knowledge that her father did not want her—he even tried to beat her out of her pregnant mother

Family member who just got a DUI

Fear of family being deported

Regret having an abortion

Loneliness

Being sued

Children who don’t know the Lord

These aren’t things in my imagination. I didn’t sit down to write creative examples of difficulties some people out there might potentially be experiencing. No. These are real. Real people who I know. People in my church.

Perhaps you can relate to one or more of these circumstances. Maybe some of them seem so far outside of your own experience that they are hard to imagine, difficult to relate to. But here’s the thing: we all have experienced pain, hardship, suffering, loss, and struggle. It’s with those eyes that we are able to see.

Through eyes that have cried… we see one another. We recognize anguish. And we are moved to say something, do something.

Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging… and helping out. —Hebrews 10.24