Lord, your Word speaks often of the shedding of tears.
The child whose development we are following can produce tears now,
And will do so throughout life.
As for all of us,
These children will shed tears of joy as they experience Your love and the love of others
And as they accomplish their goals in life.
They will shed tears of sorrow
As they realize, through the experience of change and loss,
That only You are eternal.
Grant all of us, Lord, through the tears of life,
To discover more profoundly our dependence upon You,
And to learn more fully how secure is the hope
That we have in Jesus Christ,
Who alone is Lord forever and ever. Amen.