If we were always happy,
And never stopped to cry,
Our lives would be a misery,
A contradictory lie.

If on our faces smiles stayed,
And never went away,
Prayers of thanks would not be prayed.
For what then could we pray?

If we had not seen good and bad,
We couldn’t see the right.
Two together, happy and sad.
Just like day and night.

Our tears relieve our inner pain,
Our hurts and our trials.
Quenching our souls like pouring rain,
Then returning our smiles.

If we could never cry in grief,
We surely could not live,
For without tears, there’s no relief,
No comforting to give.

So when you see a teary face,
Don’t look away in shame.
It’s to remind us of the grace,
With which Lord Jesus came.

By Lloyd McLean (1994)

This poem is part of the Seasons of Emotion collection