No Tears

The day of our final return to the Deaf Orphanage brought the children running. Once again acting as my Russian teachers - they quickly began pointing to their eyes, noses, ears, eyelashes – to see if I retained the words they had so carefully repeated over and over the day before. Slowly, phonetically, they mouthed out the words – laughing at the mistakes and eagerly and enthusiastically rewarding the successful pronunciation of smile. “OOO-lip-ska” I would repeat and then make varying degrees and sizes of my smile – eliciting laughter all around. Then one boy taught me the word for tears.

Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book? Psalm 56:8

He quickly took the finger he had traced the imaginary tear with and waved it emphatically to tell me “No crying!”

He could read in my eyes the connection and again he traced the tear down his face, shook his finger and his head “no tears”.

We packed ourselves into the bus, out of the cold that was quietly penetrating our clothing. The children surrounded the van for one more hug, a last wave, blown kisses and mouthing silently the words - “I Love You.”

As we drove away my eye caught the face of my young orphan teacher. With a broad smile, he motioned once more, shaking his head and finger to remind me of his heartfelt instructions. “No tears.”

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then He said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." Revelation 21:3-5