War is a terrible tragedy to live through. We are certainly inundated with stories from every Syrian refugee we visit. Sometimes these stories become overwhelming, even mind-numbing. I watched doctors treating patients break down and cry as they listened to stories, one after another. But sometimes those tears are tears of joy. Sharine’s story represents one of those.
Sharine visited the clinic because she was depressed. The depression stemmed from losing her two-year-old son, who died while she and her family suffered through the war. Sharine chose to flee Syria after the death of her son, but the memories still haunted her, and the loss of her son grieved her beyond measure.
After seeing a doctor, she was directed to the pharmacy where she waited for a prescription to be filled. While people wait at the pharmacy, we always provide them with a Story of Jesus booklet and ask them if they want prayer. One particular doctor who was managing the pharmacy was a lady physician from Egypt. She and Sharine connected.
Sharine began relating the depression she felt from the loss of her toddler. She described the deep sadness and pain that oppressed her each day. The doctor said, “God can relate with exactly how you feel, for He lost His Son through murder.” Sharine looked at the doctor and asked to hear more about how God could relate. The doctor quietly told her about Jesus and how God allowed Him to be crucified on our behalf to remove our sin and open the door to relationship.
The woman began weeping and the doctor cried, as did the translator. But Sharine cried from relief, knowing now that God was not distant, but intimate, and that He too could relate with her pain. It opened the door for healing to flow from God to Sharine. Tears of joy and healing are the best tears to be shed.
