Wet Glass Bottle

Over the past 2 or 3 weeks, I have either read, heard, or have been reminded of a certain verse. I have read it in my devotions, I have read it in different places on Facebook, I have heard it on the radio. I kept thinking how cool it was to hear and read that verse over and over, but then it dawned on me that God must be wanting to remind me how faithful He is to His children even when it doesn't seem like He is hearing my earnest prayers.

Psalm 56:8  "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book."

I have heard this verse and read it many times over the years, but when you get married, start your own life and life starts happening, this verse takes on a whole new meaning. The other night I was laying in bed and it was around 1:00 in the morning and I couldn't get to sleep. I had just read this verse on Facebook somewhere that day and I got to thinking about it. I prayed that God would constantly remind me of this verse when hardships come. I then began thinking deeply about this verse. When I see or read this verse, a very clear picture comes to mind. Here in the Grinstead household, we get all our milk delivered in a cooler on our porch every week. We love it. The milk we get comes in glass bottles. Clean, clear glass bottles with a tight lid on them. That is the type of bottle I picture in this verse. I also picture "HEATHER" written across it with big bold letters. Yes, of course there are lots of Heather's in the this world, but this bottle with "HEATHER" written across it is mine, and God knows that this bottle is for this Heather, not the Heather living in another town. My bottle is getting full. What looks like a bunch of clear (with a little mascara) liquid to me, they look totally different to God. See, God knows exactly what each tear drop in my bottle represents. I don't remember what all I have shed tears over in my 27 years of life, but I do remember some top moments that brought me to shambles. God knows which of my tears were shed when I got in trouble as a little girl, or when I sat in the car with mom and dad after I just found out I didn't make the volleyball team, or when I got in a fight with my best friend, or when we got the phone call that my grandma had died, or when I was homesick at camp, or how about when we only saw 1 line on millions (or so it seemed) of home pregnancy tests, or when we lost our precious little son Eli, or when we thought we were going to lose Lina'e, or that time when we didn't know how we were going to put a meal on the table for our kids. God knows exactly how many tears were shed in those life events and He has recorded them all. My tears are not forgotten. God knows. God remembers.

See, those tears that we cry, are all recorded with God. They are not forgotten. When things in life happen and I feel like God isn't listening or hearing my prayers, He always takes me by the hand and He sits me down. (This is how I envision it in my mind) He finds my glass bottle on one of the highest shelves. My bottle is amongst Bill's and Jennifer's and Sue's. He gets my bottle down and sits down with me. He takes the lid off and He begins to pour my tears out very slowly. And as He pours out each tear, He reminds me what that tear was for. After He shows me and reminds me of all my tears, He looks at me and says, "Heather, my child, if I know what all of these tears mean and represent, what makes you think that I don't know what you need?" And as I sit in silence with tears flowing down my face, God quietly places them in my bottle.  

Maybe your tears represent something different than mine. Perhaps your tears represent the loss of a job, or the loss of a child or spouse, or your house being forclosed on, or losing a pet, or having a miscarriage, or burning the meal that you were going to serve to your guests, or a flat tire on a rainy day, or when your child has gone on a different path than you hoped, or when you are hoping for and waiting on a child. Sometimes our tears seems so silly in a situation, but you know what? God doesn't think they are silly. Tears represent hurt. God knows our hearts. You have a clear glass bottle with your name written in big, bold letters across it just like I do. Maybe yours is getting full too. God always takes us back to our big, wet, glass bottles. He reminds us about His faithfulness in all our situations of life. If He knows your tears, if He knows my tears, then surely He knows our wants and needs. Re-visit your glass bottle, and I am sure you will be reminded once more of God's faithfulness.