Have you ever felt like you were never good enough regardless of how hard you tried? Always treated like second best or rejected for something better.  Ever felt isolated, used, or neglected of love.  Well, let me introduce you to Leah.  She was described as tendered eyed in the Bible which has various meanings.  Some interpret this to mean that she was not very attractive as her sister Rachel was.  Others interpret this to mean that the only thing attractive about her was her eyes, and others say this meant that her eyes were tender from crying so much. 

Leah was the oldest daughter of her father Laban, and her sister Rachel was the youngest.  The time came when a handsome man name Jacob requested of Laban to marry Rachel.  The Jewish custom at the time was that the oldest daughter would marry before the youngest.  So, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah on his wedding day.  Jacob did not discover until after the wedding ceremony was over that he had actually married Leah instead of his true love Rachel. Imagine him being so displeased and angry, even complaining.  Imagine him saying, "Laban, I asked you for Rachel, and you gave me Leah, I don't want her, I'm not attractive to her". Imagine him running this in the ground for seven long years, and Leah having to hear this.  Imagine going to bed each night knowing that you were unwanted and unloved.  Imagine being used only to produce children. Leah, though despised and rejected continued to be favored by God.  Like the saying goes, "God don't like ugly". Of course God did not approve of Leah being so rejected; as a result, he blessed the fruit of her womb.  Leah produced more children for Jacob, than Rachel.  There were a total of twelve sons of Jacob, and six of those sons, as well as one daughter were born of Leah.  Leah's handmaid, Zilpah, also bore Jacob two sons; while Rachel bore him two son; and her handmaid, Bilhah, bore him two sons. 

The lesson in this is that although you may be rejected and unloved, God sees your tears, and as the scripture states, they that sow in tears shall reap in joy"!