strength

i got to thinking about strength today.

i thought of something josh just did
with one of his little girl students.

he told me that because of all my little
terri talk, he had learned something about
how to treat his little girl students in
class.

one little girl had come in and was proud
of herself for teaching herself how to
play happy birthday. she was very pleased
and was showin' josh.

apparently, she had it all wrong.

but josh knew enough not to point that out
directly. he praised her for the beauty of
what she did and showed her another way to
play it also. he never ever made her think
she didn't get it right. he showed her there
were lots of ways to do things.

when he told me, i was so tickled.

and i told him that he'd never know what he
just did cause she wouldn't know. but if
he had told her she did it wrong, it would
be something she might carry around for
a life time.

think of all those memories we carry around.
he didn't add to her heap.

and i thought how that was kindness.
and strength.
not adding to another's heap.

it takes a little muscle to go around the
thoughtlessness and to take the extra step.

and then i thought about that muscle. after
awhile, when you do it enough, it's easy.
it's second nature. you don't have to think
about it.

you grew that muscle.

so then you work on growin' it bigger. and
you go to things that are a little harder
for you to do. maybe the reachin' out when
you don't feel like it.....

and you grow that muscle.

and then that gets easier, and you can go on
to harder stuff.

and you keep growin' those things.

it's the same as weight lifting, only the
human interactions are the weights.

i want to tell the guys about this thought.
i know that as young men, there are questions
on what it is to be tough and strong.

i've seen them question that kinda thing....

raising sons has been a challenge for me.
i want to honor manhood....and yet, what the
heck do i know about it?

i guess maybe knowing it from this side....
from knowing men from the outside...i know
what i value in men.

and i can share some of those thoughts.

when josh told me his story, i saw one heck
of a cool young man. who is way stronger than
he knows.....

makes me think of that quote i've always loved....

'lord, help me to be strong enough not to
hurt anyone.'