A Five Minute Friday Post

My friend Lisa-Jo does this Five Minute Friday thing every single Friday where she prompts you with a word and then you write, unedited, for five minutes. Then you do the unthinkable… you publish it for the world to see. She’s brilliantly brave and really awesome. I’ve never done it. But today, I’m in. Because, well, I like to keep it fresh around here and, quite honestly, I like her word today. Ready?

GO

Tender

I studied Psalm 23 this morning for a devotion that’s coming up. “Tender grass” is what the Shepherd leads us to. Us being me and those who follow Him and call Him “Lord.” Tender grass in beautiful pastures and near quiet restful pools. I picture fresh and soft.

I think of tender and imagine Jesus “growing up as a tender shoot” (I’m sure that’s not correctly quoted, but it’s in Isaiah somehwere). Jesus — a tender shoot. Like a brand new, fragile, stomp-on-able new piece of grass.

I think tender and I picture tender steak, yum. Because it’s easy to cut. Tender hearts are nice because they feel others’ cuts and bruises and hurt with them. But the one with the tender, well, sometimes it doesn’t feel nice. Because tender hurts sometimes.

Like Jesus was tender. He hurt sometimes. He hurt for me. He still does when I hurt. You too.

Yeah, that’s tender. I like it. But sometimes, well, tender is hard.

STOP

Okay, so now you see my attention deficit propensities. And aren’t you glad I usually edit?

What do you think of when you hear the word “tender”?