Hidden Jewels

Do you sometimes need support from those around you, especially when you are in the midst of the storm? Most of us receive great comfort from knowing we are seen and understood. Emotional support gives us the strength to go on and, most importantly, to thrive in life. A few years ago I found myself traveling by car on a journey I was not keen to take. It was a gloomy and miserable day, and I had unfortunately been dragged into an argument. Upset and frustrated, I could not hold back my tears. As I looked at the sky and raised a silent prayer, something caught my attention. A small patch of rainbow stared back at me, reminding me that God could see me and that He cared deeply for me. God wants us to know that our tears mean a lot to Him. We might think they are insignificant, but they are not.

Our emotional tears are not just saline.

They have a similar structure to saliva and contain enzymes, lipids, metabolites, and electrolytes. Moreover, each tear has three layers.

Rose-Lynn Fisher, an award-winning photographer, has captured images of her tears and compiled them in her book, The Topography of Tears.

When she was going through a difficult time and grieving, she decided to look at her tears under the microscope. What she discovered was mind-blowing.

Her tears had beautiful patterns, some simple, some complex, depending on the reason for them! Our tears may exist for a few seconds, but to God they are precious. Like snowflakes they are beautifully hidden jewels, and God collects them in special bottles. David wrote: “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (Psalm 56:8, NLT). What a loving Father! He is El Roi, “the God who sees me.” He sees and takes note. He acts. His love is so deep that He even sends help from above and support from the heavenly sanctuary when we are in distress.

It might not be a host of armies, but a glimpse of the rainbow might be all that is needed. As rain is to the flower, so is the knowledge of a caring heavenly Father to us—One who takes note of our tears, the Creator who designed our bodies with beauty and perfection, even down to the minutest detail of a teardrop.

Anna Karatizidou-Papaioannou