Why Can't I Cry?

A guest post from MMM:

You hear someone remark "I can't help it; I wear my emotions on my sleeve".
Typically I imagine the loud, exuberant woman at the party or the sensitive friend who 'oohs' and 'ahhs' everything you say that has anything to do with puppies or love. For girls this is more acceptable. For guys this would be rarer. Perhaps other sentiments strike their heart strings besides puppies and love. In fact, my brother just confirmed this weekend he's the type with figurative tear drops and billboard sign hanging off his sleeves. Yet, I can't remember him crying more than once.

If you didn't recognize yourself in the above paragraph maybe you will in this one. "You don't get it. I know you don't and that's okay. But it hurts right now and I need you to just accept that! And stop trying to fix it because you can't fix everything." This is what I hear from my sobbing wife on occasion. I truly mean on occasion because I keep trying to fix the problems in her life. even after I failed to fix it the first time. This is no bash on her. She is just the emotional type.

This relationship has been hard because, while I want someone who will walk beside me through the tough terrain and will follow my footsteps as I avoid the cracks and crevices, she wants someone to carry her through it. And I mean through the cracks and into the crevices. We have two mindsets when it comes to facing challenges. Don't get me wrong. I know life isn't black and white and symbolism is just that; symbolism. But on the aggregate I would say we handle the difficult problems this way.

Now how in the world do we win this argument? Emotional types: "If you would just love her for who she is." Stoic types: "She needs to learn there are facts and there are feelings." Well, maybe I don't have to win. Instead of How Do I Win, it would be better to ask What Would Jesus Do? The answer. He would be you.

You guys have helped me and my wife cope with quite a few stressors in our first 4 years. Who would have thought you put two Christians together in one house, draft a lifelong covenant based on love, weave in some American culture and then fire the starting pistol you'd end up with cold dinner and a cold shoulder some nights? If it hadn't been for your voices, your encouragement, your 'likes' and your 'thumbs up' we would have been in a world of hurt. Jesus is the friend. So thank you Jesus. Whether it's a call, a text, a poke or a hug we thank you for friends that look like you.

We lost another baby in the womb today and we could really use Jesus.