A Really Good Cry—No Tear Wasted
A Really Good Cry, 2025
I recently sold my original painting, A Really Good Cry—a piece rooted in the biblical truth that God sees and keeps every tear. For over a year, it hung above my coffee machine, quietly witnessing my early mornings with Jesus before my kids woke up. But as I packed it up to send it to its new home in Texas, I found myself doing exactly what the piece invites: having a really good cry.
This painting was created in a season where I was blurry-eyed and crushed in spirit—and lately, I’ve found myself back in that place again. Which brought me back to this truth: the Bible tells us that our tears are not wasted. God collects them, Jesus wept alongside us, and somehow—miraculously—our tears become seeds for something eternal.
We have a Savior who is not above a really good cry, a God who is intimately connected with our tears and His own, and a creator who made us to cry. A Really Good Cryis not to be taken lightly, it’s Kingdom business.
The Spiritual Meaning of “A Really Good Cry”
God sees and keeps our tears, for me, this brings a lot of comfort in times of tears. “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” (Psalm 56:8). A God who keeps record. I love that there’s no qualifications for the tears He keeps. I don’t think it’s just the tears we would consider worthy, the tears shed in understandable moments—the moments no one would blame us for. I think it’s also the tears shed due to hormone imbalances. Tears shed because of exhaustion. Tears shed because of spilt milk (metaphorically and literally). God keeps record of them, and if this is true, He sees our spilt milk, and He cares enough to keep track of it.
God is not far from A Really Good CryHimself. “Jesus wept,” (John 11:35). He wept even when He knew the plan, even when He had the outcome all figured out. His grief wasn’t something to be solved, it was embraced. We have a God who isn’t far from our pain or emotion. He came to earth and fully felt it too. He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but took the time to grieve the loss anyway. This eliminates all the shame in the moments when you know—this is all going to be okay—but you’re crying about it anyway.
Sowing in Tears, Reaping in Joy (Psalm 126 Explained)
God calls our tears seeds for a coming harvest. “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy,” (Psalm 156:5-6). This sounds like a promise, a reminder that there will be no tear wasted. A promise that joy is coming, but first—A Really Good Cry.
The Promise: God Will Wipe Every Tear Away
And after all this—we have a God who will personally wipe every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:4). He has a plan for our pain, and a plan for our tears—it’s redemption. It’s a personal, physical touch from the God who created it all. He will stoop down, touch our face, and redeem our tears. This is the promise of A Really Good Cry.
If like me, you’re sad the original is gone…especially after hearing more behind the heart of the piece—prints in several sizes are available as well as phone cases. I’ve seen this phone case, and it will the next one I get. It’s dreamy.
A Really Good Cry, 2025
