Surrender Means Crying the Ugly Cry

This  “valley of tears” we Christians live in can be full of heartache. Yes, we have faith in knowing Christ is risen, and he will come again, but grief can feel all-consuming. Life’s sorrows suffocate us. We grieve for thousands of reasons: lost children, distant spouses, deceased loved ones, lost jobs, and diagnoses.

So, what do we do when these disasters strike? The bible’s answer may be different than what you expected…surrender.

Its message to mourners is sympathetic.

Sometimes we want to ugly cry. 
Sometimes we need to ugly cry. 
Sometimes we want to ugly cry and can't.

The ugly cry is the loud crying of the soul by the groaning of the Holy Spirit.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans" Romans 8:26

Lately, I've wanted to cry the messy, ugly cry. 

I mean, have you ever noticed how much better we feel when we can "let it all out"?

I want to let it all out, I want to let it go, but something is holding me back. I've gotten close a couple of times to being able to ugly cry, but I stop myself every time. So what is holding me back from crying the ugly cry that I need to? 

Perhaps I don't let it go because I'm afraid of losing control and not being able to stop. Or maybe I'm ashamed of crying and don't want to cry because I feel I have no reason to cry. Here's the thing, as long as we live in a broken world, there is a reason to cry. 

We cry for the one who mourns the loss of a loved one. 
We cry for the children who are victims of abuse.
We cry for the poor, needy, and ill.
We cry for all of the pain and suffering in this world.
We cry for those who can't cry for themselves.

"Carry each other's burdens; in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 We cry because we feel, and we feel because we love.

"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  “Where have you laid him?” he asked.“Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus Wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!" John 11:33-36

We don't cry because we are weak; we cry because we are strong. 

Strong in the power greater than ourselves. 
Strong in the victory promised to us by the cross. 
Strong in the promise of eternal life.

We can cry in strength, and we can cry in weakness. 
We cry because we can't do it on our own, and we cry because we don't have control. 
But, as we cry, our tears wash over us a sense of release and freedom.

Release from the thoughts that we should know better. 
Release from the thoughts that we should do better. 
Release from the thoughts that it is up to us in the first place.

I'm in need of an ugly cry because I'm tired of feeling all of this pressure that I bring on myself. I'm tired of trying to live up to my self-imposed expectations. 

My Hope is in You Lord

I'm ready to have my tears cleanse me. 
I'm ready for my spirit to express my awe for Jesus by the tears I shed.
I'm ready for my tears to seal my redemption.

Friends, I invite you to join me in crying the ugly cry. 

Let us mourn for those in need and have our heart break for what breaks our Father's heart. Let us not be ashamed to cry, but cry in the strength and the power given to us by the Holy Spirit. "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." Ephesians 6:18