Big Girls Do Cry

I grew up thinking I needed to hold it together. My teenage problems seemed
minuscule next to extreme poverty and world hunger. But I did have
problems. And they felt big to me.

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In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble.” He
doesn’t say if; He says will. You will have trouble. Jesus’s statement has
stood the test of time. Our brothers and sisters in Christ have experienced
pain and sorrow, including Martha and Mary.

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Their brother, Lazarus, became very sick. The sisters sent word of his
illness to Jesus. Jesus came but not right away. He arrived after Lazarus
had died. Martha ran to Jesus at once, but not Mary. She stayed back,
hidden and hurting, with the other Jews who had come to comfort the family.

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Martha approached Jesus with incredible trust and strength, declaring her
confidence in His holy power. After Jesus spoke with Martha, He called for
Mary, and she also came. She came, and she cried. She didn’t understand why
Jesus hadn’t come and saved her brother, why He let the last breath escape
from Lazarus’s lungs.

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Jesus knew the story wasn’t over, that Lazarus would breathe and walk and
talk again, but He didn’t pass over Mary’s grief. Instead, He wept with her.

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It’s okay to feel sad and share our pain with others. It’s what Jesus did.
Both Martha and Mary had incredible trust in Jesus and His ways, but that
didn’t stop them from feeling grief. At first, Mary stayed back, not
bringing her full self to Jesus. But He called, and she came.

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Jesus also calls to us. He is ready to come alongside us and weep amid any
situation we find ourselves in. Jesus knows what happens on the other side
of our grief—because He died and rose again, He will put an end to death,
suffering, and everything else that causes pain and sorrow. But that
doesn’t mean He expects us to pass over our current feelings. • Jenna
Brooke Carlson

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• What feelings are you experiencing today? Do you feel like you can bring
these to Jesus?

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• Why do you think we are sometimes hesitant to show others how we feel?

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• Who is one person in your life you can share your true feelings with? If
no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the
future.

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When Jesus saw her weeping… he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
“Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
Jesus wept. John 11:33-35 (NIV)

Read Verses:

John.11.1-John.11.44|John.16.33