Are You Watering a Garden of Tears?

Have you ever felt like you were watering a garden with your tears, not with rain or sunshine, but with heartbreak, disappointment, loss, loneliness, anger, or pain?

Life has a way of bringing seasons we never asked for, where our hearts feel heavy and our eyes seem to have an endless supply of tears. Sometimes we wonder, “God, how much longer?”

The truth is, God never promised us an easy life. Jesus never told us that following Him meant we would never hurt. In fact, He told us the opposite.

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

John 16:33

Our trials and troubles are not a matter of if, but of when. They will come, but we need to remember that we never have to walk through them alone. God has promised us His presence, and God is not in the business of breaking His promises. Because God is faithful and true to His Word, we can build a firm foundation for our life.

When the Waters Rise....... 

Are you walking through deep waters right now or struggling just to keep your head above them? Have the waves of life been crashing over you so relentlessly that you're exhausted from trying to stay afloat? Don’t worry, God sees you. He hasn't forgotten you and He hasn't abandoned you.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.” Isaiah 43:2

Notice what God doesn't say. He doesn't say if you pass through the waters. He says when.

There will be waters. There will be rivers. There will be seasons when life feels overwhelming.

There is another promise tucked inside that verse: “I will be with you.”

That's the promise. The waters may come, but God comes with you. The fire may burn, but God walks through it with you. The darkness may feel overwhelming, but God is still there. You may feel alone, but feelings don't change God's presence.

I Know What It's Like to Water a Garden With Tears...

I recently came out of a sad and lonely dark season of my own. For quite some time, I felt like heartbreak was all I knew. It was all I could see and I felt stuck. There were moments when I wasn’t able to be fully present for my children or my husband. I wasn’t being the best version of myself because of the pain and sadness in my heart, and I didn’t know whether I was ready for God to fully heal me.

If you’re facing any kind of crisis or heartbreak inside, I want you to know something that is very important: You are not alone. None of us are exempt from the pain and grief this life can bring.

God is with you during the wonderful and happy times and during the darker times. Don’t give up on Him or yourself. Healing is a process that could happen suddenly or slowly. God is in control of our healing. He may leave us in what feels like a waiting room for a while.

If you feel like you’re waiting on God, keep waiting and keep praying. You don’t need to worry, God is still working. He has His reasons for the waiting. 

There Are Lessons in the Waiting Room!!!!!

The waiting room can be uncomfortable. We want answers and we want relief. We want to feel normal again and we want the pain to stop. God wants us to know that there is purpose in the waiting. There can be self-discovery and deeper prayers, and when we don’t have the strength to pray for ourselves, there are people who will pray. During this time, a deeper relationship with God can be developing within your heart.

Sometimes we think we're waiting on God when, in reality, God is working on us. So if you find yourself sitting in a waiting room today, be patient with yourself, be patient with the process, and most importantly, be patient with God. He has not forgotten where He left you.

Your Garden Isn't Dead......

Does your garden look gloomy right now, drowned by sorrow? Are tears the only thing you can see? I want you to know that your tears aren't the end of the story. God uses our tears to water things we cannot see yet, and beneath the soil, God’s plans are taking root.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

The night can feel long, and sometimes it feels like morning will never come.

But morning comes, and friend, joy can find you again. I know this to be true because joy has found me. I have tasted it, I have experienced it, and I am living in it now.

My garden was full of tears for months, but today, I can look back and see things I couldn't see before. I can see healing and growth, and I can see strength and beauty. The most important thing I see now is God’s faithfulness.

I have lost much throughout my lifetime, and maybe you have too. There are people and circumstances that have broken my heart, but through it all, I still have God, and so do you.

That changes everything!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and your garden is full of tears, and you can’t imagine anything beautiful growing because of what you’ve been through, I want you to try and remember three little words, Oh, but God!

Oh, but God can take broken things and make them beautiful.

Oh, but God can bring joy after sorrow.

Oh, but God can bring healing after heartbreak.

Oh, but God can bring beauty from ashes.

Oh, but God can make something bloom in the very place where you thought nothing could ever grow again.

Your garden isn't dead. It's growing. You may not see or understand it yet, but it’s growing.

You may even still be crying, but keep watering, keep praying, keep trusting, and keep believing.

One day, you may look back at the garden you thought was destroyed and realize that God was growing something beautiful all along. Your tears were not wasted and your waiting was not meaningless. Your story is far from over.

Two Ways to Tend Your Garden Today

1. Bring God your honest tears.

Don't feel like you have to clean yourself up before you come to God. Cry and talk to Him. Tell God what hurts and tell Him why you're angry. Tell Him what you're afraid of and give Him the pieces you don't know how to carry.

2. Look for one small sign of God's faithfulness each day.

When you're hurting your mind naturally wants to focus on everything that's wrong. Instead, intentionally look for one place where God is still moving. Write it down and thank Him for it. Sometimes recognizing one tiny flower in the middle of a tear-filled garden is enough to remind you that God is still working.

Father God, sometimes our gardens feel like they are drowning beneath the weight of our tears.

Our hearts become exhausted from carrying pain, sorrow, disappointment, grief, anger, and heartbreak. Sometimes we don't understand why You have allowed us to walk through certain seasons. Sometimes we wonder how much longer we can keep going, but Father, today we choose to remember Your promises. You promised that You would never leave us. You promised that when we walk through deep waters, You will be with us and You promised that weeping would not have the final word.

So, Lord, meet us in our gardens. Meet us in the places where we are hurting. Meet us in the waiting rooms where we've grown tired of waiting and where we struggle to see even the smallest glimpse of hope.

For the person reading this who is crying right now, wrap Your arms around them.

Remind them that their tears are seen, their prayers are heard, and their pain matters to You.

Give them strength for today, and help them trust You one day at a time.

Father, where there has been sorrow, begin to plant joy. Where there has been heartbreak, begin to grow healing. Where there has been fear and anger, grow faith and peace.

Where there has been darkness, let Your light begin to shine.

Lord, teach us to trust what we cannot yet see. Teach us that a garden can look barren while roots are growing beneath the surface. Teach us that waiting is not wasting and remind us that You are still God in every season.

One day, Father, let us look back and see the beauty You created from the tears we thought were destroying us. Let our lives become living testimonies that You can bring beauty from brokenness, joy from sorrow, and life from places that once felt dead. We surrender our gardens to You. Water them with Your grace and cover them with Your presence, and in Your perfect time, let them bloom.

In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

Today's Song 🎵 🎶 

“Joy in the Morning” BY: Tauren Wells & Evolution Worship

Author: Nadia Walker 

Revised by: Priscilla Campbell

Editor: Christine Platt