No Wasted Tears (41 page)

The leader took the microphone. “Here is my heart. I give it Lord to you. Here is my life. I lay it before you. Where else would I go? What else would I do, if I did not know you? How deeply I need
you.”

The sanctuary was enthroned with the presence of the Lord. The worshipers could feel the Lord’s weighted glory. People were walking around in the sanctuary, weeping. Some even went to the altar, kneeling in worship. There were tears, clapping, and shouts of “Yes, Lord!” coming from
everywhere.

Marvin sat quietly in the back of the sanctuary. Although he wanted to praise the Lord his eyes had been riveted on the two boys seated beside Cynthia. He’d been running behind this morning and took a seat in the back of the church. Who were they? There something about them that sent chills through his body; he didn’t want to think beyond that because that would mean Cynthia had deceived
him.

Chapter 44

Voices could be heard saying, “Hallelujah,” coming from all over the sanctuary as Pastor Wheeler walked up to the mic. The choir was trying to close the selection, but every time they tried, the praise would
continue.

Pastor Wheeler took the mic in his hand, and as if God himself was leading him, he walked out into the audience. Looking up, he began to sing, “I need you, Lord, like the desert needs the rain. I need you, like the ocean needs the streams. I need you, like the morning needs the sun. I need you, Lord. You are my only one.” Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he gave God his all. His congregation knew he was caught up in the Spirit, and they began to praise God with
him.

Pastor Wheeler returned to his seat while the congregation settled back down. Minister Samuel came to the podium, and after settling his spirit down a little, he asked the church, “Are ya’ll feeling like I’m feeling? I’m happy in the Lord right now. Not later, not after a while, not after my bills are paid, but I’m happy in the Lord right now!” He pulled back his head and gave the Lord a loud shabach, followed by most of the folk in the
audience.

After everyone had been settled down and the offering was collected, Pastor Wheeler came to the podium. Opening his Bible, he told the congregation, “Open your Bibles to Psalm 30:5, and after you have it, say amen.” Once he heard “amens,” he began to read. “
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the
morning.”

Looking out over his waiting audience, he asked them, “How many of you know today that in God there are no wasted
tears?”

Many responded by saying, “Amen.” Pastor Wheeler told them to look at their neighbors and say, “No wasted
tears.”

Folks turned toward one another and said, “No wasted
tears.”

“I’m here to tell you today that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. If you know it, then give God some
praise.”

People got up and started cheering, giving God praise, and then took their
seats.

“Have you ever felt like crying? There are times in every life when
each of us feels like crying. Crying is universal. Everyone cries. Babies cry and adults cry. No matter what sex, race, or nationality we happen to be, we cry. Usually our tears represent the condition of our spirits at the time. When our spirits are full, one way or the other, we
cry.”

Willie lifted his hand, saying, “Amen, preacher! We all cry sometime. Thank you, Jesus.” Sara looked at Willie. Reaching over, she rubbed his
back.

“Yes, Lord, we all have to cry sometime,” she said as she looked back at Pastor
Wheeler.

“Sometimes we cry when we are sad. Death, sickness, failure, and disappointment are powerful emotions that control our spirits and move us to cry.” Walking away from his podium, he looked out in the congregation. “David wept over the sickness of his son. Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. It is not unusual for us to weep in times of trouble or despair. It is a way of emptying our souls.” Looking back at the guest choir, he said, “Can I get an ‘amen’?”

“Amen, Pastor.”

Swinging his arms around in the air, Pastor Wheeler did a
two-step back to his podium. People were up shouting right along with
him.

“Sometimes we cry when we are happy. We cry at weddings, reunions, graduations, and special ceremonies marking academic achievements. If we watch a movie that has a happy and sentimental ending, the tears flow like a river. They are tears of joy.” The church was rocking, and there was an anointing on Pastor Wheeler that had the church on
fire.

Looking at the audience, he said, “A month ago God performed a miracle in the life of one of our members, and I cried tears of joy.” He smiled at his family and said, “Can I get an ‘amen’?” Then the church shouted it right back at him. It was as if they were playing baseball. He threw it out, and they hit it out the park every
time.

Cynthia stood up, and before she knew it, the spirit of the Lord hit her in the top of the head and moved down to the soles of her feet. She began dancing in the Spirit right then and there. Smiling, Tina stood, watching
her.

“Praise Cynthia, ’nobody knows like you
know.”

Cynthia wasn’t the only one. There were others around the sanctuary that understood what their pastor was saying, and they gave God some praise for
it.

“They’re tears of joy. These are moments when we are so happy we cannot contain ourselves.” Pastor Wheeler twirled around so fast in the pulpit and then gave God a Holy Ghost
squall.

“But there is a day coming when God himself will be with us, and John said it like this.” Looking at Destiny, Adam said, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” He saw the look in Destiny’s eyes and knew she understood. Even with the death of Stanley, she understood what he was
saying.

Adam went on to preach that sermon like none he’d ever preached before. The congregation was blessed by the word that came out of their pastor’s mouth through the aid of the Holy Ghost. Finally, as he closed his message, he walked down the steps from the pulpit and stood in front of the
audience.

“Church, when David penned this psalm, he was looking back over his life and saw the merciful hand of God that helped him endure his own weaknesses and personal trials. He thanked God for being with him during his weeping and
lamentations.”

Walking to the right of the congregation, Adam
looked at his members and saw their tears. He knew that as a church, they’d endured a lot. They had stood beside him even in his most difficult times, and he had stood by them during their
trials.

Continuing to talk, Adam said, “David’s reflection upon his life is the same as that of any believer. We too have shared the same three experiences that David shared in his lifetime. God’s anger is a terrible thing. Generally, we bring down the wrath of God upon ourselves by some deviant act or
another.”

Throwing up his hand, he said, “I’ve been there. Have
you?”

“Yes, sir, Pastor, we’ve been there,” Edward Mason said as he gave God praise for delivering
him.

Adam walked over to the other side of the church. “Then there’s God’s favor. It’s the ultimate blessing for any believer to receive the favor of God. When a person is a favorite, he receives special treatment, access, and considerations that may not be
required.”

Turning to walk up the aisle, Adam stopped beside Destiny’s wheel chair. Looking at her for only a few seconds, he said, “When we realize that we have been favored, that’s when we can truly say, ‘He didn’t have to do it, but he did. He didn’t have to bless me, but he did! He didn’t have to heal me, but he did! He didn’t have to save me, but he did!’ While others revel in the fact that they have been blessed, those who have learned this truth are able to say, ‘I’m more than blessed. I’m enjoying the favor of the
Lord!’”

Everyone seated in that section and in the sanctuary began to rejoice at the awesomeness of
God.

“Yes, Lord, you’ve been good!” was being shouted throughout the congregation. The members were on their
feet.

Tina shouted, “Yes, sir, you’ve been good to me!” as she held her son in her arms. Cynthia reached for the baby as Tina began turning around, and with each spin, she said louder, “Yes, sir, you’ve been good to me.” Richard stood to watch over his wife, but tears were in his eyes as he looked at their daughter, who was watching her mother, and their son in Cynthia’s arm. God had been good to them. He was worth all of the praise she was giving
him.

“Then there are times in our experience when we’ve had to weep. The very first thing we do when we get into this world is cry. But shedding a sentimental tear at a wedding or at the happy ending of a movie is not the same as weeping. The Hebrew word for
weeping
in this text means continuous like steady dripping.” Using his hands, Adam illustrated a continuous motion, making sure that the congregation understood what he was
saying.

“I want everyone in this sanctuary to know that in God, there are no wasted tears. Hallelujah!” He jumped up and down at the excitement of that
statement.

He wasn’t the only one. The organist began to back him up, and folks all over the sanctuary were on their feet, giving high fives and praising
God.

“I’ve found out in my own life, just as many of you have, that the darkest nights are followed by the brightest days! A great and heavy burden is followed by a multitude of blessings!” Pastor Wheeler was really feeling the Spirit now. His voice had begun to rise and fall as the organ and drummer kept
beat.

“The sorrow of today is followed by pleasant times of tomorrow! The weakness of the moment can be the blessing of the hour!” The organ roared in unison with his
voice.

“The difficulty of the day can prove to be the blessing for the week! I’ve found that no matter what comes my way, the Lord is able to make a way out of no way! He’s able to lift up a bowed-down head. He’s able to dry a tear-stained
eye!”

No one was in their seat. The whole congregation watched as he continued to preach his heart
out.

“So Destiny, go ahead and cry right now because, in Jesus, there are no wasted
tears.”

Destiny heard those words with her heart, and before she knew it, she was rolling her wheel chair forward and backward in the aisle. She had seen people in wheelchairs praise God before but this was a first for her. She praised God like she’d lost her mind. Her eyes were closed, but the tears were flowing. It was over now. Everything from her past was not in vain because in God there were no wasted
tears.

“Your tears are just temporary relief. Your tears are just a release of the pain, sorrow, and grief. Your tears are expressions that can’t be controlled. A little crying is all right, but after a while, you won’t have to cry any more. Don’t you worry. God’s going to wipe every tear away. Because, in him, there’s never wasted tears, just a transportation to a new day. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy will come in the morning!” Pastor Wheeler was using his high and melodic falsetto
voice.

People stood all over the sanctuary with their arms lifted in the air. Some were praising, and some were crying, but all of them knew that God was in this worship
service.

“It’s time to give it to Jesus. No wasted tears this morning. Let’s give Jesus our
all.”

A couple stood in the back of the church, followed by several more people all over the church. Pastor Wheeler surveyed the audience; looking for one more if it was God’s will. After getting peace, he asked all of those who stood to come to the altar. There were twenty-seven people at the altar, all wanting to give their lives to Christ. Pastor Wheeler asked for the assistance of the ministerial staff. Then he went to each one, hugging and speaking to them
personally.