Tender Warriors

FRIEND; "MAN’S TENDER SIDE"

WE ARE DRAWN TO GOD WHO DEFINES HIMSELF AS LOVE... GOD INSISTS THAT THE ULTIMATE POINT OF ALL SCRIPTURES CENTERS ON LOVING HIM AN DONE ANOTHER. IT IS AT ONE TIME THE MOST BASIC INSTRUCTION OF SCRIPTURE AND THE "NEW COMMANDMENT" GIVEN TO EVERY MAN.

THE HEART OF A FRIEND IS A LOVING HEART; A COMPASSIONATE HEART. A TENDER HEART...

UNDERNEATH THE WARRIORS BREASTPLATE BEATS A TENDER CENTER. IN EVERY MAN THERE IS A TENDER SIDE. THE SIDE THAT CONNECTS TO ANOTHER. THAT HAS THE THIRST FOR RELATIONSHIP. THE DESIRE TO TOUCH AND BE TOUCHED. TO HUG. TO LINK. TO BE WITH.

CONTRAST TINSEL TOWNS JOHN WAYNE ("NEVER APOLOGIZE MISTER ITS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS’) WITH REAL LIFE HERO GENERAL NORMAN SCHWARZKOPH. NOT LONG AFTER THE GULF WAR...HE APPEARED IN AN INTERVIEW WITH BARBARA WALTERS. IN THE COURSE OF THEIR CONVERSATION ABOUT THE WAR, something TOUCHED THE BIG MAN. AND THE COUNTRY WATCHED WITH FASCINATION AS THE EYES OF THIS CAREER SOLDIER WITH 4 STARS ON HIS SHOULDER GLAZED OVER. TEARS FORMED.

MS WALTERS, WITH WELL PRACTICED BLUNTNESS SAID, "WHY GENERAL AREN’T YOU AFRAID TO CRY?"

STORMIN NORMAN REPLIED WITHOUT HESITATION, "NO BARBARA I’M AFRAID OF A MAN WHO WON’T CRY."

BARBARA HAD MORE THEN SHE BARGAINED FOR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MICROPHONE. AMERICA WAS WITNESSING THE DISTINCTIVE HEART BEAT OF A TENDER WARRIOR.

NOW UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TENDER AND SOFT... WE WANT TENDER WARRIORS..NOT SOFT MALES...WEBSTER DICTIONARY NICELY DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN THE 2 TERMS. "TENDER" -- EXPRESSING OR EXPRESSIVE FEELINGS OF LOVE, COMPASSION, KINDNESS, AFFECTIONATE, AS IN A "TENDER CARESS, CONSIDERATE CAREFUL. WHERE SOFT IS USED TO DESCRIBE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE "MILD, EFFEMINATE, EASILY YIELDING TO PRESSURE, UNRESISTANT TO MOLDING, UNTRAINED FOR HARDSHIP...

MASCULINE SENSITIVITY WILL NEVER AND SHOULD NEVER MATCH IT’S FEMININE COUNTERPART. THE AVERAGE MALE WILL NEVER BE AS SENSITIVE AS THE AVERAGE FEMALE. DON’T EVEN TRY... JUST ACCEPT IT. ACCEPT HER FINELY TUNED SENSITIVITIES. BECAUSE THE DIFFERENCE IS PART OF THE CREATORS PLANNED COMPLEMENT. SO DON’T OVERDO... BUT DO LOOSEN UP. IT’S A LONG WAY FROM MACHO TO SOFT.. AND WE NEED TO COME DOWN SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE...

THAT’S WHAT THE APOSTLE PAUL DID, HE WAS A FIGHTER, A WARRIOR A MAN WHO FACED HARDSHIPS AND DIFFICULTIES HEAD ON... A MAN WHO STOOD THE TEST AND FACED EVERY CHALLENGE... A MAN WHO SENT RIPPLES NOT ONLY ACROSS HIS WORLD, BUT INTO THE WORLD TO COME. HIS IMPACT HAS SPANNED THE CENTURIES... PAUL POSSESSED A FEARLESS SPIRIT, A STRONG WILL AND A FIERY PERSONA..

YET, THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN THIS TO PAUL, FOR YOU SEE UNDERNEATH HIS BREAST BEAT THE HEART OF A TENDER WARRIOR;

LISTEN TO HIS OWN WORDS IN I THESS 2:7-8;

WE PROVED TO BE GENTLE AMONG YOU, AS A NURSING MOTHER TENDERLY NURSES HER OWN CHILDREN. HAVING THUS A FOND AFFECTION FOR YOU, WE WERE WELL PLEASED TO IMPART TO YOU NOT ONLY THE GOSPEL OF GOD BUT OUR LIVES AS WELL, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BECOME VERY DEAR TO US..?"

GENTLE? TENDER CARE? NURSING MOTHER? CHILDREN? FOND AFFECTION? VERY DEAR? DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A WARRIOR TO YOU? ARE THOSE WORDS YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM A MAN’S MAN?