Elvis Presley, "Don't Cry, Daddy"

This is one of the songs Elvis sang during his return to stardom in 1968. After years of bad movies and lackluster albums, he started singing about social issues and recording popular tunes.

Listen to this touching song about a broken-hearted father here:

How true it is that children feel family pain the worst. And during many times throughout history, Christians faced expulsion from their families merely for becoming followers of Christ.

The Master gave his disciples, and us by extension, this wonderful promise in Mark 10:29 and 30 (Bible in Basic English). "Jesus said, 'Truly I say to you, There is no man who has given up house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or land, because of me and the good news, Who will not get a hundred times as much now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land--though with great troubles; and, in the world to come, eternal life.'"

Psalms 68:5 and 6 (BBE) is also a wonderful promise to cling to. God truly is, "A father to those who have no father, a judge of the widows, is God in his holy place. Those who are without friends, God puts in families; he makes free those who are in chains; but those who are turned away from him are given a dry land."

We might be missing family members due to divorce or death but nobody goes missing from Christ's family. 

To Christ, we are his family. As Mark 3:31-35 (BBE) plainly states, "And his mother and brothers came and were outside, and sent for him, requesting to see him. And a great number were seated round him; and they said to him, 'See, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.' And he said in answer, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' And looking round at those who were seated about him, he said, 'See, my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's pleasure, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.'"

We also see how secure we are in Christ's family in John 10:27 and 28 (BBE). "My sheep give ear to my voice, and I have knowledge of them, and they come after me: And I give them eternal life; they will never come to destruction, and no one will ever take them out of my hand."

If the Good Shepherd hasn't returned by Thursday, I hope to post about how we can brighten up each other's lives.