I have a tendency to cry, especially when I’m speaking. It’s not something I mean to do, it’s not even something I can control. It just happens.
The weird thing… Most of my life crying wasn’t an option. My growing up years led me to believe that men didn’t cry. In fact, showing emotions of this nature diminished any healthy American male to the status of overly-sensitive sissy, a tag that instantly removed a guy’s perception of himself as a hero, protector, or conqueror.
A few years ago I was taken on a journey that taught me to listen to my heart. In the process, I found myself experiencing a depth of myself that had been in hiding. When God redeems a heart He unveils its real self. And so… I cry.
Bottom line… God took my hard heart and sensitized it. I’m a better man for it. I’m reminded of the greatest hero, protector, and conqueror of all time. You may know Him. The shortest verse in the Bible says much about His heart. It simply reads… “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) I do too.
I wonder… What is it that is in your heart or in the heart of the group members you lead that is hidden? Is there laughter that is being held captive, a smile that would light up the room, an opinion that needs to be heard? Take your group members on a journey to know their own hearts. It’ll set them free and take your group to the next level.
P.S. I did just learn a trick from my friend Steve Gladen. When I start to feel those emotions rising up in me, I just need to take a sip of water. He tells me that it’s physiologically impossible to drink water and cry at the same time. In case you’d thought about inviting me to speak but you’ve heard that I’m “a crier,” I’ll be carrying a glass of water with me when I keynote from now on. Not because I shouldn’t cry, rather because people can’t understand a word I say when I do.