Be A Man

Growing up they told me
To "be a man"
That I was doing it wrong
And all along the way,
I tried to change.
I hardened my heart
Like Pharaoh
And would not let myself go
Into the world of feelings
Because a man
Can't be dealing with those.
And forget about tears.
If you feel those coming
You just drown them out
With a couple of beers.

A man doesn't share
What's going on in here.
So I isolated myself
Separated from all support
And felt completely alone.
But we were given emotions
By the Almighty,
And we were not meant
To push them away.
They consumed me,
Destroyed me,
Pushed me over
The proverbial edge
Into a pit of despair.
I was all alone there.

I had hidden from myself
For so long
I didn't even know how to feel.
So I turned to pain,
Drawing lines
In my skin
So I could simply feel again.
But darkness will swallow you
If you give if let it thrive.
And I started to wonder
If I even wanted to be alive.

But before I was completely devoured,
The Light came down into my darkness.
Emmanuel in the flesh
Telling me to rest
In His glory.
It was a true man.
A man following the I AM

You see, like King David
He was not afraid to feel
Like Jesus Christ,
He was not afraid to weep and kneel
In front of our Father
And cry out his name.
But don't think for a second these men were sissies.
David fought giants with slings and stones,
Jesus lived knowing his blood would atone
For our sins,
And this man took bullets
To save his friends.

So like Jesus I wept
Crying out Father
Take this cup from my hands
So I can be a real man.
For real men are brave,
They stand between danger
And anyone they can save,
They conquer mountains
And win battles,
They protect with their lives.
They know how to provide
And how to survive.
But most of all they know how to feel
They know how to love
And you are never alone
As a true man of God.

So I will learn how to love,
I will learn how to cry,
I will learn to be strong
Even when I
Am afraid of what
Stands before me
Because
I know what is behind me
Is worth giving my life.
I will learn all these things,
And follow God's plan
So from this day and on
I can say
"I Am That Man"