It’s Okay To Cry

It’s Okay to Cry

Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

As someone who is perhaps overly empathetic, crying is my response to a lot of situations. News stories and sappy movies can make me cry, but so do many circumstances in my everyday life. Sadness, joy, anger, and frustration can all surface as tears. While I recognize that my tears are part of my sensitive nature, I’m often dismayed when they emerge—especially if it’s at an inconvenient, work-related time. I’ve cried during a podcast recording; I’ve cried during dinner at a work conference. I’ve been on the verge of tears in some of the biggest moments of my working life, simply because I felt uncertain or overwhelmed.

All of those situations were immensely frustrating to me because, even though I appreciate the tender heart God has given me, I hate when my tears hinder the message I’m trying to convey. Luckily the ladies I work with are also dear friends. In every situation, without fail, Kendra and Julie are unfailingly kind. They never make me feel bad about a characteristic that can sometimes embarrass me. Instead, they respond with grace and understanding.

“It was fine!” one will say when I bemoan my tears.

“I thought it was great,” the other will say, assuring me that the situation turned out okay.

I imagine that when Jesus commands us to love each other the way he loved us, this is what he meant. My friends love me for who I am. They recognize that my soft heart is an innate part of my nature, and they don’t try to change me—they simply accept me, and they encourage me to do the same. And isn’t that what Jesus does with us? He loves us, just as we are. He welcomes us, accepts us, and shows grace and mercy in the face of our many weaknesses. As friends, let us treat one another with the same measure of love that Jesus does.

— Kristin

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Thank a friend for affirming an aspect of yourself that is sometimes hard for you to accept.