God Hears A Woman's Cry

“Are my tears not stored in your vial, recorded in your book?” Ps. 56:9

Reflection by Dr. Adriane Gullotta-Gsell Ph.D.

How many times have we cried out to the Lord and paraphrased Jesus’ words, “Father, why have you abandoned me?” In life, we can often feel as if the Lord does not hear our voice or even notice our desperation and discouragement.

I am comforted and reassured by the psalmist who conveys to us that the Lord saves our tears because they are so precious to him. This image tells me that God does not ignore our pain and sufferings. They are acknowledged, treasured, and always remembered in his heart of mercy. Why, then, does our God allow us to suffer the pain in life that brings us to tears? Why does he count our tears instead of preventing them?

The answer lies in the reality that God has given us the gift of life. Life and our world have sunshine, darkness, rain, and even drought. The Lord does not prevent rain from coming although floods might also occur. While at times it's difficult to accept, our world is sustained and enabled to thrive because of the storm, so too with our pain, suffering, and tears.

While our Lord is loving, compassionate, and merciful, he is also beyond our understanding. His ways are not our ways. Even Jesus experienced tears, himself, when he, the Son of God and our Lord and Savior, took on the human condition and put on flesh to be born into this world. He didn’t have to put himself in that vulnerable position. He didn’t have to suffer physical pain, rejection, and suffering at all; but, he did it because he loved us. Because of his selfless act of love, God enabled us to have a personal relationship with him.

When we feel overwhelmed and abandoned, we need to dialogue with the Lord and tell him exactly the way we think and feel, like Jesus did in the garden and on the cross. Then, we need to rest in his loving arms and let him carry us while praying, “Jesus, I trust in you!”