Shouting Through Your Tears

 "But many of the priests and Levites and head of the father's houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off." Ezra 3: 12-13

First, there is an age gap that is evident in this story. The young people did not have the depth of experience to draw on that the old people had. The young people processed this event with what they knew and with what they had experienced so far. Which was not as much as those who had lived a long time and who had seen things to compare to and had memories that ran far deeper. This is not a good or bad, right or wrong issue. It is a fact of life that age gives experience that only comes with the turning of the pages of life.

Second, the noise of this event was notable. Some were weeping, some were laughing, but all were shouting. You can shout and not be happy or excited. But when God moves, you cannot help but respond. They all understood that this was the beginning of something big and something grand and something memorable. They all shouted.

Some people are giddy with child-like excitement over our new building. Some people are glad but not really excited. Those who have seen other buildings cannot help but compare this one to what they have seen before. Others have never seen a building of this size and this scope and this magnitude before. I have. But all of us can rejoice and be glad at what the Lord has done in bringing us this far. That will be a testimony to all around us. We can all shout, even through our tears.