This rather unusual picture prompts my “unscheduled” blog post. As I was leaving the office today, I was emptying the trash cans. There is absolutely nothing remarkable about that act; I understand that. What prompted me was this trash can that is half full of tissues. For most people reading this, you are probably thinking, ” you are weird”, or maybe even, ” you are gross!”, but this trashcan reveals so much more than what you may be thinking. This half full can represents the tears of many women. Women that have cried tears of joy, tears of pain, tears of relief, heartbreak, and freedom. The tissues are full of tears that don’t live in someone’s heart anymore. These tissues represent emotions overflowing and chains of bondage being broken.
This trashcan represents what we are put on planet earth to do. Isaiah 61:1-6 empowers us with these words,
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.”
We are called and fully equipped to fulfill this scripture to those around us and to experience this freedom for ourselves.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t despise your tears. They are the fluid that God uses to cleanse our soul and set us free. Remember what the Lord tells us in Psalms 126:5, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.”
My prayer is that this simple trash can full of tissues and tears reaps a large harvest of joy for us all. I pray it is a simple reminder of the freedom available to us through Jesus Christ.