Friday, June 19, 2026

“...they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders." Isaiah 49:22

“Our Shoulders” is a poem I wrote for the Shining Light Baptist Academy graduating class of 2003:

Our shoulders are held high in praise,

For the godly seeds we have seen raised.

Our shoulders are bowed in humble thanks,

For the privilege of training you to enter the Lord's ranks.

Our shoulders, they feel the commitment, the effort, and wear,

Of all it has taken to show you we truly care.

Our shoulders are the solid rocks on which you sighed,

They are the pillars of security on which you cried.

Our shoulders have been exercised and strengthened,

And the opportunities of those after you lengthened.

Our shoulders bear the impress of where you once stood,

They have provided a launching pad into life the way they should.

Remember our shoulders, steadfast and true,

For the responsibility of these shoulders will one day fall on you.

Our academy has always been a “God, family and country” school. On this Father’s Day 23 years later, the words of this poem serve as a needed reminder for our dads and those coming after us to shoulder our God-given responsibilities in a way that pleases Him and blesses others. Our homes, churches and nation depend on it!

The cornerstones of leadership are responsibility and accountability. It is easy to say we welcome accountability, but God will prove us to show how we respond to being held accountable for our actions.

Dads, may we always be willing to die to self as we make what we do and why we do it about the glory of God and the good of those we are responsible for.

Happy Father’s Day!

Sincerely,

Pastor Tim Cruse

𝐀 𝐑𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it…“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians  5:25; 6:4