Aremolekun says, “Don’t cry”: Counterintuitive Discipline.
"Counterintuitive refers to words, actions, and thoughts that are sometimes contrary to what one instinctively, rationally, or with common sense expects in a situation. Years ago, one of my favorite Bible teachers, Dr. Cynthia James, exegeted the text of Jesus speaking to the widow of Nain when he walked into the procession going to bury her only son. She said Jesus spoke to the woman in the language of mothers to their children when they know no matter how bad the situation, they will find a way to fix it.
Dr. James said Jesus said to the widow what a mother would say to assure her child in the interim while she is working out the solution to a crisis. It was a word of comfort that seemed inappropriate to the situation. It was counterintuitive. For instance, it is expected that when you experience loss, you will shed tears, but when you don't, it goes against the expected reaction and becomes counterintuitive. You lost your child, and you cry. But here is the great rabbi saying, “don’t cry.”
As I reflect on this,it appearss that the phrase "don’t cry" may not refer to halting the tears. It would be inhuman to ask someone not to cry. It may be about not letting grief, events, or situations overwhelm you so much that you can't think of a solution. “Don’t cry is counterintuitive, but sometimes it is necessary. So I thought to tell you this morning:
Don’t cry; re-strategize
Don’t cry; learn the lessons
Don’t cry; reassess everything and plan ahead
Don’t cry; rethink the situation
Don’t cry; don’t let pain paralyze your sense of direction and what you should do next
Don’t cry; their rejection is redirection
Don’t cry, you are enough
Don’t cry; all things will work out for your good
Don’t cry; reinvent yourself
Don’t cry; I know you have question, but some things take a lifetime to unravel
Don’t cry; active and proactive steps make delay less likely, become denial
Don’t cry, do your part; God and the ancestors got your back
Don’t cry; put your mind to work because without your mind, God can do nothing (Philemon 1:14 KJV). My PoP says, “Bring your mind to work out your mess.”
Don’t cry; seek wise counsel
Don’t cry; seek medical solution
Don’t cry; go to therapy if you can afford it or buy proven self-help books
Don’t cry; look into behavioral science for answer to that addiction and trauma
Don’t cry; explore alternative solutions
Don’t cry; wet wood still burns.
Don’t cry; dance with your broken bones
Don’t cry; you are still in the hand of the Potter.
Don’t cry. God will make you forget your sorrow and present pain as the stream that passes away. For you will forget your misery, recalling it only as waters gone by (Job 11:16)
Don’t cry; those that are for you are more than those that are against us.
Don’t cry; your latter shall be greater than your past
Don’t cry. eyes have not seen it, ears have not heard it, and it has not entered the hearts of men or women. What is still in stock for you
Don’t cry; the father himself loves you (John 16 vs. 26)
Don’t cry; angels are on assignment on your behalf
Don’t cry. God did not bring you this far to fail you
Don’t cry; he is alpha and omega and everything in between
Don’t cry; you have what it takes
Through the years, as I went through life, he came like a father and would assure me that tomorrow would be brighter than today and the future than today. I considered offering you the same comfort I have received.
I am not perfect, and my life is not either. I am not where I want to be, but I am not where I used to be because Aremolekun is working it out for me.
My PoP’s birthday is in a few days from now. I decided to briefly return from my social media hiatus to encourage someone. Don’t cry
Picture: Last summer in Odunlade Art Gallery
