Mercy, Mercy Me by Ronn Elmore

Author:Ronn Elmore [ELMORE, RONN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780446560191
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2009-05-30T04:00:00+00:00

Dwayne raised his head a bit and peeked through half-opened eyelids. Only one of the chairs was empty. Dwayne lowered his eyes once again with a smile. The only thing that would have made this night better was if Nina had come. But when he arrived at the church an hour or so earlier, she was not there. He waited in her office, until Lafayette arrived a half hour later, and together, the brothers christened the first official gathering of Man-to-Man.

Instead of the fifteen or so they’d expected, nearly three dozen turned out for what would be the first of a series of intense sessions designed to support and encourage men through all the challenges they faced as breadwinners, fathers, husbands, and Christians. Just as with the women, their open and honest communication was encouraged.

“I want to applaud you for coming out tonight. After ten years in private counseling practice, I am accustomed to the hesitation many men have in admitting that they need help, when in reality, we all do.

“Unfortunately, some men let that self-sabotaging kind of pride stop them from seeking assistance when the stakes are far higher than just trying to get to a destination in their cars. Some of us flat-out refuse to say ‘Help!’ even when our lives, our mates, our families, finances, or spiritual growth are at risk.

“The pride that keeps men from seeking needed help is based on a lie that says a man ought to handle every facet of his life all by himself. If he can’t, his excessive pride convinces him he’s a failure and less than a real man. And, of course, we avoid doing anything that might make us feel like a failure. A good friend of mine, Frank Wilson, says men are like turtles. Inside—soft, sensitive, and vulnerable, yet choosing to construct a tough outer covering for protection. We call them shells, he calls them masks.

“Let’s start by taking off our masks tonight. I want to have everyone stand up and say a little about themselves.”

“Good evening,” Deacon Sloan said. “My name is Isaac Sloan and I came here tonight to stand in support with the men of this church.”

“My name is Don Adams,” said the next, “and I’m here out of curiosity, mostly.”

Dwayne chuckled, as did the rest of the men, and one by one everyone shared—some just their names, others more. Then came the last introduction. “I’m Milton Wright, and I’m here because I need somebody to walk with me. I’m going through some difficult times and I may be the cause of them. I just don’t know how to turn around some of the destructive things that I do.”

“Ah, man, we all know what you’re going through. Nearly everyone has at least one emotional slave master. It’s the psychological black hole that you trip into over and over in the normal course of living and loving. It’s that troublesome and persistent emotion you feel far more intensely—and more frequently—than you wish you did. You hate that you feel it, but you don’t quite know exactly why you feel it.

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