PAIN COMES IN THE NIGHT
JOY COMES IN THE MORNING
I BELONG TO JESUS
JESUS IS MINE
As boys Father Crowell trained us to not shed tears. Whether it was after a beating or watching a tearjerker movie, tears were regarded as sissyville, weak sissy acts of cowardice.
For these reasons tears dripping, softly and silently down my cheeks in a church service were greeted with joy and gratitude as I sang softly, “pain comes in the night, joy comes in the morning, I belong to Jesus, Jesus is mine.”
Teaching young men to be warriors for truth, justice, and to shed tears of kindness and compassion for the suffering is the true measure of a man.
The great public speakers and actors are the ones who can bring you to laughter and tears in the same speech or movie scene.
To be tough as nails and gentle as a soft pillow is one of the mysteries of life.
Easy to say; very hard to do.
As Jesus said, “Be gentle as a dove and wise as a serpent.”
Easy to say; most difficult to live.
No passage of Holy Writ inspires me to embrace toughness to fight and kindness to heal than Colossians 3:12-17
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
These powerful warrior yet gentle words are worth hiding in our hearts.
