God's
up to something! Mrs. Tappin repeated several times out loud, as
she drove home from her monthly Quilts for Christ fellowship on the
other side of town. She knew it'd take the better part of tomorrow to
decipher all her notes, until she got the fellowship's tape recording
in the mail, in about two weeks.
That
evening Hope and Ross Tappin, climbed into bed and Ross opened his
old Bible of ragged pages, yellowed by time, and stained by Tappin
tears; both his and hers. Ross read the inspired text while Hope kept
caressing the page closest to her as though some of that inspiration,
was still alive today, flowing in through her finger tips.
No
sooner had Ross closed the blessed pages, than Hope almost shouted to
her husband of 48 years. “Ross! God's up to something! I mean He's
really up to something, and right here in me! I gotta tell you or I
won't sleep a wink all night, or maybe ever!”
“This
afternoon at the fellowship, we had a speaker who is a registered
nurse. She spoke about several ailments of older folks, and
especially about dehydration and really zeroed in on dry eyes. She
didn't get too technical but she had a couple of slides showing us
what an incredible design God has fashioned our eyes with.” Ross
had to calm Hope down twice or neither of them would get any sleep
tonight.
“Well,
anyway, Dede, that's the nurse, told us about human tears. There's
actually 3 different kinds of tears each of us use. And our tears
clean, lubricate, and medicate our eyes. Ross, did you know our tears
have oil and water, and even sugar in them? That's right. It's called
glucose or Grape Sugar. Honey, right after breakfast tomorrow, I'm
gonna call Fran and tell her our Creator is even more fantastic than
we already know.”
“Ross.
I want to pray for us tonight. I want my heart to be wide open to all
God has in store for us, whatever that might be.” She began to grab
God's throne of love with her heart and words. She wanted divine
direction in disciplining Tamara, the teenager from the next street
over. Hope almost begged God for his leading to reach into Tamara and
show her that tears and, yes, texting, are both gifts from God and
therefore must be used per His directions and for His purposes. She
thanked God for showing her and Ross that God is up to something. But
even more, He's given us tools like tear drops that are meant to
cleanse, make things work smoothly, and protect against the elements
and evil in this world.
God
means for us to see His good gifts; in provision, protection, and
purpose. How does He want us to view stressful times? By looking
through His tears; through sweet tears that are burdened for broken
hearts, like Tamara's, and others we see each day.
The
verse that Hope cherished, with its promise, for so many years is
Psalms 126:6
He
that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless
come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Why
not put a bowl of ready-to-eat grapes on your table alongside an open
Bible and invite a friend over? If God has His way in your heart and
conversation, you both might be smiling through Grape Sugar tears.
