written by Kayla Stannard

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4 (ESV)

The very first scripture I ever memorized as a child was Revelation 21:4. I was young—maybe five or six—and even though I didn’t fully grasp its meaning, I remember feeling something every time I recited it. The words settled in my chest like a warm blanket, even though I couldn’t yet explain why.

It’s strange now to think that Revelation, of all books, was the first one that really touched me. It’s full of imagery, weight, hard truths, and heavenly visions — not exactly bedtime reading for a child. And yet, this one verse shone like a soft light in a dark place.

As I reflect now, I realize what drew me to it. My home life was not always peaceful. There were moments of love, yes, but more often it was a space filled with tension, unpredictability, and a quiet kind of sadness that was hard to name as a child. I was the youngest, often left alone in the whirlwind, feeling things I didn’t yet have words for.

But that verse gave me a glimpse of something I desperately needed: hope.

The promise that every tear would be wiped away? That there would be no more mourning, crying, or pain? That was the world I longed to live in. I didn’t know how to articulate the ache in my heart, but God did. He spoke directly to it through that verse. It’s like He tucked a bit of His comfort inside me before I even understood what comfort from Him looked like.

What amazes me now is how faithful He was, even then. He planted that verse in me like a seed, knowing it would grow roots through the hardest seasons of my life. That one promise stayed with me, even when I drifted from Him. It became a silent lifeline—the kind you don’t realize you’re clinging to until you look back and see it was always there.

Now, as an adult in this unpredictable world, that verse means even more. Every headline reminds me that we live in a broken place — war, disease, injustice, heartache. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or even numb to the pain around us. But then I come back to this verse, and it’s like oxygen for my soul. It reminds me that this isn’t the end of the story. God has already written the final chapter, and it ends with restoration. Peace. Wholeness. Every tear is gone.

That’s the kind of promise that carries me. It centers me when the world feels like it’s falling apart. It reminds me that even in the waiting, even in the suffering, God is not far off. He is near — and He is faithful.

I’ve felt His presence in the moments no one else saw. When the sorrow was too heavy to carry alone, when I was lost, aching, and unsure if peace would ever find me, He met me there—quietly, tenderly, just as that verse promised.

And so I understand now why that was the first scripture I ever memorized.
Even when I didn’t know what I needed — God did.

You can find Kayla over at Substack to read more of her writing. https://divinesoundtrackscommunity.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search