As Christians, do you cry?

misty

This keeps happening to me, and I want to know if I need to seek professional help? Is this normal? Since I DA'd, I became a Christian, and now everytime I go into hearfelt prayer or even worse, the couple of times I actually went to "an apostate" church and sing songs of praise, I start bawling like a baby. Or if I hear a talk of how Jesus redeemed us,etc. I go at it again. It is awfully embarassing - especially in the 'apostate' church with strangers around. Is this normal? Should i be getting a red and yellow pill? Does that wear off? Did anyone go through that? I never cried at the Kingdom Hall!!!

Francois

The realization that now you're getting what you have needed all along can be an emotional one indeed. It's very common for people to become emotional only after release from an intolerable situation. They can be like rocks during the personal tribulation of high pressure, high control situations.

Jehovah's Witnesses, with their conditional love from a conditionally loving god and their constant implications that you're not good enough for them or for god, create an atmosphere of deliberate self-loathing.

When you are out of the cult and into the mainstream where god really is a loving father and you realize (make "real" for yourself) that you ARE a child of god, and loved unconditionally by Him, regardless of your works - or in spite of them - the sense of relief can be SO great that the message from your inner self to your conscious mind is so sweet and so relieving as to make tears of happiness flow.

As you become more adjusted to the reality of God's love, and become a more mature member of his universal family, I believe you will experience less and less of the emotional reaction you describe.

Best,
Francois

Undecided

Hi Misty,

I think this is a normal reaction when you are dealing with something that has and is affecting you life in such a serious way. When I first realized that what I had been raised from childhood to believe was truth wasn't the truth, I would pray to God for some help in finding the truth and I would cry. When I was visiting a church looking for the truth about God the members would cry while testifying. This seems normal for some people.

I didn't find God or any truth in any church. I no longer cry. There may be a God somewhere but I don't see any evidence of his action on earth today. I feel a greater responsibility for doing what is right than I did when I had the rules from some religious organization. I hope you are happy with your life and find your own peace.

Ken P.

mouthy

Yes Misty -I do it too. One time to of us ( both ex) went to church on rememberance day & they played the national Anthem-& we both broke dow. Everyone looked at us like we were?????
I believe as JW we suppressed out emotions.

Amazing

Hi Misty: I think we all have shed many tears as we realize that most people on the outside of the JW religion are good, and love us more than most people on the inside of the religion. Jesus said that love would be the way to identify his followers ... he said nothing about which church, organization, set of rules, or official teachings ... just love. The simplicity of this kind of faith brings all kinds of tears of happiness, anger, pain, shame, healings and back to happiness.

I suppose if tears are accompanied with serious depression for an extended period, a few weeks or months or more, it might not hurt to check with a professional to be sure nothing more is going on.

Otherwise, let the tears flow. Your humanity is being allowed to breath free ... let it fly and soar.

Billygoat

Misty,

I'm smiling as I type this because I relate so much. I became a Christian in my mid-20's - several years after my exodus from JWdom. I remember going to mass with my then MIL (who was Catholic) and just tearing at every song and crying in every prayer. After several weeks of it, I told her "I can't wait to get to the point where I DON'T cry at the services." She looked at me and said very seriously, "I hope you never get to the point where it's not emotional for you. Tears are the release valve for a full heart. If you cry it's because Christ has filled so much of your heart that your little body just can't contain it." Stopped me in my tracks. I'll never forget that.

I still cry at my church's praise and worship. I still tear listening to a good sermon. I loved what Frank had to say:

When you are out of the cult and into the mainstream where god really is a loving father and you realize (make "real" for yourself) that you ARE a child of god, and loved unconditionally by Him, regardless of your works - or in spite of them - the sense of relief can be SO great that the message from your inner self to your conscious mind is so sweet and so relieving as to make tears of happiness flow.

I loved this..."relief"...that sums it up right there for me. Tears of relief. Y'all are awesome. Thank you!

Andi

RR

It's normal. Although I don't cry, I do get emotional alot more, something I never did with the borg. And this can be attributed to the fact that when in the borg, your relationship with with the borg, NOT the Lord. To the Borg, the Lord is just a historical figure, an unseen entity, they read the scriptures in the third person. A true Christian sees the Lord for what he is, a savior, they read the scriptures in the first person.

The JW's know about Jehovah and Jesus, a true Christian KNOWS jehovah and Jesus.

Yerusalyim

Not to worry, it's normal.

YERUSALYIM
"Vanity! It's my favorite sin!"
[Al Pacino as Satan, in "DEVIL'S ADVOCATE"]

MegaDude

It's normal.

To hear words of encouragement, peace, love and, most of all, hope, in a setting of people striving to make these principles a way of life, brings out strong emotion. It releases so much pain in my heart, it's natural to feel deeply. This is especially true after decades of guilt and oppression that you experience at the joyless Kingdom Hall. Think back. Can you remember that many times you felt uplifted from a JW meeting and full of positive feelings to live a better way of life? Certainly I did at times, but it was few, very few.

Bottom line, you're healing. And what you're feeling is completely normal.

4christ

Hi Misty, there were some great responses and i just want to add my voice. I too have started crying during services. I was never actually a JW but they were a big influence in my childhood through my mom's involvement. As a child I was taught not heavenly hopes, but earthly, IF I was a good enough girl (which of course I wasn't). Also got a very mixed message about Jesus-okay to worship, not okay to worship Him (my mother was confused and kept going back and forth). For a time I threw it all out the window A few years ago, a friend brought me to the church she attended, a great little Christian church in Honolulu called Hope Chapel. The music was so beautiful and there was a big banner over the stage that said "come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest". And , the people there were just great-the pastor did his service in flowered surf shorts :) very real. I heard the music and saw the message and I cried all through the music and most of the service. It was this experience that led me to start researching to see if the gospel was true. For me it seems my heart was in it before my head would admit it.
I love Billygoats comments and what her friend said. I still cry sometimes, especially at "Amazing Grace". Its the realization of God's endless unconditional love, no matter how much bad stuff I have done and dont deserve, that really gets my waterworks going. Its alright to cry. Grace is a wonderful thing. :)
Peace-Lauren

As Christians, do you cry?

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