I was just driving.
No worship music playing. No deep thoughts going through my head. Just a regular drive, fresh makeup, coffee in hand, nothing too serious going on. Honestly, I wasn’t even praying at that moment. But something about the stillness of the morning, the way the trees were moving, the open road, it felt like God just… showed up.
It wasn’t loud or overwhelming. It was subtle. Gentle. Like He was already in the car and I just became aware of it.
And then I started thinking about where I’ve been. Where He’s brought me from. How much I’ve changed. And this wave of gratitude just hit me out of nowhere. Not the kind that makes you smile, it was the kind that makes your eyes fill with tears before you even realize you’re crying.
But these weren’t sad tears. They were full of joy, full of relief, full of peace. It felt like my heart was exhaling.
Now, side note, I had just done my makeup, and anyone who knows me knows I wasn’t trying to let those tears mess that up. So I leaned forward a little and gave a quick shake of my head, you know, like when you’re trying to keep the water from tipping over your eyelashes.
But then something happened.
The tears didn’t fall down my face like normal. They didn’t even run. They sort of flew off like mist. So light. I actually paused and thought, “That’s weird.”
And then, without really meaning to, I whispered this question out loud, “God… do tears carry weight?”
I didn’t expect an answer. I wasn’t trying to be deep. It just came out of my mouth like a thought escaping. But immediately, I felt this quiet response deep in my spirit. “Yes. They do.”
And right after that, the verse came to mind. “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… for My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
I’ve read that verse so many times. But in that moment, it hit different. Because I realized that not all tears feel the same. Some fall heavy. Some burn. Some feel like they’ve been sitting behind your eyes for years. But these? These tears felt light. Like they had already been carried for me.
It was like the Holy Spirit was saying, “Even your tears know when the burden’s been lifted.”
Later on, I looked it up and I found out there’s actually a scientific difference between types of tears. Basal tears keep your eyes moist. Reflex tears show up when you cut onions or get dust in your eye. But emotional tears? They’re different. They carry stress hormones, natural painkillers… actual toxins your body is trying to release.
So even science says not all tears are the same.
And maybe that’s why those tears didn’t fall that morning and instead they floated. Because I wasn’t grieving anymore. I wasn’t carrying what I used to. I was worshiping. I realize I am free.
And you know what else? Psalm 56:8 says that God collects every tear we cry. Not one is wasted. “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.”
That means even the ones we think are small. Even the quiet ones in the car when no one’s watching. He sees them. He saves them. He knows exactly what they meant.
So yes I believe tears carry weight. Not just emotionally, not just scientifically, but spiritually.
But when God lifts the burden? Even your tears will rise.
And maybe that’s the most beautiful thing about grace, it doesn’t just change your life. It changes the way your soul responds to it.