collections

i'm packing up my house to move to a new neighborhood, to start a new chapter of my life.  my hope at this point in the packing process, is i won't have to move again until my mansion in heaven or an old folks home. one feels that way in the middle of so much muckety muck of moving. haven't even gotten to the garage or attic! yikes!

while packing, sometimes i'm very appreciative and sentimental about all my pretty things, other times not so much. i have way too many "collections" that i started long ago. i remember mother encouraging me to start collecting something. my first one was of elephant pictures, not statues, but pictures. don't ask me why. haven't a clue. i think i have four or five of those left (many have since gone the way of garage sales).

i've a collection of teapots and teacups. small perfume bottles. pitchers. old books like my childhood nancy drews, other classics and a recently begun collection of used rosamund pilchers hardbacks (a great english author). oy vay! no wonder i've got so much packin' to do!

now to the point of my story:  one day, i was counseling a precious client and she was crying.  i was trying to encourage her that it is GOOD to cry and to let out those tears.  she was saying "but what's the point? nothing changes. i'm still crying after so long. it doesn't seem to help anything." 

when counseling others, sometimes i open my mouth and out comes what could only be the Holy Spirit. i'm sure you've encountered this, too, when encouraging or counseling someone.  i said:  you know what? you know my collection of blue and white plates i have in my den in my home? God collects your tears and places them in a bottle.  (psalm 56:8) He has a tear collection! and apparently a bottle collection as well! He collects your tears. they are precious to him, even more so than the many worldly "moth and rust destroy" things we collect.  (matthew 6:19-20) we pondered that for a few moments and the Lord encouraged us both.