Partners
“Partner in crime” … It’s been a “thing” for as long as i can remember … and it refers to someone who collaborates with another, either in illegal activity or playful, mischievous schemes. I refer to my wife, Pennye Jacobs Lewis, with this endearment, at times…for the simple fact that we’ve partnered in some pretty crazy activities over our 45 years together. Been alotta laughin … alotta great adventures … alotta great memories made … but, there’s also been alotta “tears” … happy and joyful tears, as well as sad and heartbreaking tears. Therefore, she’s not only my “partner in crime”, she’s also my “partner in cryin”. And that’s OK . GOD created us to cry, as well as laugh. And don’t we cry for alotta different reasons ? Shoot…I’ll catch myself laughin over the memory of a bygone family member…maybe somethin they said, somethin they once did … and next thing i know, I’m cryin while I’m still grinnin. It’s funny enough, but sad that they’re not still around to share the memory with me. We cry when our kids are goin through hard times … even though we know God’s refining them…testing them…proving up their faith in Him ( James 1:1-4 ). It still hurts us when they’re hurting or struggling…so yeah, we cry. Seeing tragedy befall others…strangers…breaks our hearts and causes us to cry. We don’t know why bad things happen to innocent people, but it does ( Matthew 5:45-47 )…and good or bad, we’re told to pray for them and administer service when we’re able ( Matthew 25:40 ). We see tears at weddings, as well as, funerals. We cry when the pain is unbearable, and we cry when relief comes … whether for ourselves or, the ones we love. Some of us cry easily … some of us, only when no one is around. God cried. He cried when He knew He was about to call His friend back from the grave … i like t’ believe He cried because He knew what Lazarus was experiencing … and He hated to take that from him ( John 11:20-44 ). On another occasion, Jesus stood looking out over Jerusalem and muttered to himself, “If only yall woulda accepted me…but you choose instead to forfeit forgiveness of sin and the salvation of your souls”…and tears went down His cheeks ( Luke 19:42 ). See ? It’s ok to cry … Jesus did. In fact, our sacrifice unto God is a broken and contrite heart and spirit that He will not despise ( Psalm 51:17 ). Being a “partner in cryin” doesn’t make us look weak … it’s God’s way of showing that our hearts are still tender and pliable. A hardened heart cannot be penetrated … but Jesus has the remedy for that, too ( Ezekiel 36:26 ) ! Get you a “partner in cryin” … you’ll never get over it !