The more hurt and pain you have gone through in life, the stronger and more beautiful your heart will be..... 

 One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. 

 A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart. 

 Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, "Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing. 

 The people stared. "How can he say his heart is more beautiful?" they thought. The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears." 

 "Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of their heart to me. These are the empty gouges - giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?" 

 The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. 

 The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. 

 The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his. 

 They embraced and walked away side by side

Tears In A Bottle

by Deborah Ann Belka

 

There is a bottle up in heaven,

filling up with all your tears.

Drop by drop the Lord collects,

the full harvest of your fears.

 

There is not a tear that falls,

where He is not aware.

For He understands each drip,

and the cause of your despair.

 

When tears of unhappiness,

are followed up with grief.

He garners them in His vial,

and sends peace for your relief.

 

He knows the real reason,

as He gathers up your pain.

And all your hurtful tears,

to Him become like rain.

 

He reaps each tender trickle,

with His mercies from above.

Collects them in His bottle,

and caps them with His love.

Tears in a Bottle

 author unknown ( http://jaysmeenarticles.blogspot.com/2007/07/poem-tears-in-bottle_22.html )

 

The vase laid on the ground,

broken and shattered.

What was once beautiful to behold,

was now left to be forgotten.

 

Pain have been my faithful partner,

and tears have been my food.

Oh, how I wished that night was day,

that winter was spring.

 

How I longed to hear the birds sing,

how I longed to see the flowers bloom.

When will the skies show its glory,

the sun shine its light?

 

But all I saw were the overwhelming waves,

all I knew were the dark, gloomy skies.

The storms of life were too much for me to bear,

O Lord, where can I run to?

 

And so I built my own shelter,

a place where I can lock myself in.

Oh, now I can be safe,

safe from the storms.

 

Lord, where were You when it hurts?

Why didn't You come to my rescue?

Why didn't You protect me from the storms?

Why did You allow my heart to bleed so?

 

Lord, did You not care?

Have You not seen my tears?

O Lord, Where are You,

please....answer me, Lord.

 

Then, I felt LOVE surrounding me.

I looked up, and saw Him.

Oh, it can't be You, Lord.

It can't be You.

 

And I saw a bottle in His hand,

a bottle filled with something precious to Him.

'What is it, Lord?' I asked.

'My Child, these were your tears.

 

For I've stored your tears in a bottle,

they are so precious to me.

Like golden drops they were made of,

like precious diamonds they were shaped.

 

These are tears of brokenness,

they are tears of worship.

I will turn the ashes into beauty,

and I will wrap the garment of praise over you.

 

Now look up and see the day dawning.

Yes, for winter has passed,

and spring has come

See, the flowers are blooming again.'

 

And the Lord bent down,

and gently picked up the broken pieces.

'I will make you whole again,

and I will make you stronger than ever.

 

You were broken so that you will know,

that I can fix those broken pieces.

For I know your every tear,

and I will wipe them all away.

 

Now go and tell other broken vases

to bring their pieces to Me.

Tell them that I will mend the broken pieces,

and make them even more beautiful.

 

Let them know too,

that I store their tears in a bottle.

None will be wasted,

because I love you so.'