Masterpiece From the Margins: Trauma, Discipline, and the Cry for Fatherhood

Dear Friends,

Every now and again, a personal story comes along that lays bare just how much grit, grace, and holy assistance it takes to find your place in this world—much less rise to become anyone’s inspiration or leader.

This week, my conversation with Jay Morris is a testimony not only to that climb, but to the layers of help and habit that make it possible for broken beginnings to become “masterpieces” in the hands of God.

Jay’s story is, in every sense, lived on the margins: born to parents who were both children of alcoholics, rocked by family violence, early sexual trauma, and surrounded by the losses and chaos of urban America. He puts it plainly:

“I was molested at four, raped at five... By the age of six, Kenny Cole had died from smoke inhalation. Age of seven, Arnold Drayton was hit by a car... Growing up in those circumstances, you’re exposed to death, especially in the urban area and it does something for you... to you.”

By high school, Jay’s dreams of sports were dashed by injury and poverty—but somewhere in the midst of pain, God planted unlikely seeds of perseverance.

Part I: The Margins as Forge—Hardship and Holy Spirit

Some would stop here and call Jay a survivor. But that’s not his story. His story is one of relentless rescue: not only by the Spirit, but—crucially—by the cultivation of daily habits and a hunger to grow the soul. Jay is clear that trauma and adversity are not the full story. What matters most is what we do with our woundings: how we learn to seek, trust, and discipline our inner life to not be overrun by enemies within or without.

“My father was there physically, but mentally he couldn’t help me... But for a lot of males in the African-American communities, they don’t have role models. And for whatever reason ... incarceration, it is hard. And ... the system’s not always supportive, it makes it even more difficult. I can see where the Holy Spirit—there’s no question in the book. The Holy Spirit kept me.”

For so many—especially in communities battered by cycles of poverty, trauma, addiction, and incarceration—the lack of present, empowering fathers creates a hunger for guidance and a soul-deep ache. Jay’s story doesn’t dodge this, nor does it wallow. Instead, he tells of the role models who did show up: older neighborhood “coaches,” a father’s stable (if emotionally unavailable) presence, and—running like a quiet river beneath it all—the ever-present Father of Spirits.

Part II: The Mastery of Discipline—Soul, Scripture, and Structure

Yet faith by itself is not enough. Jay insists on the power of concrete spiritual discipline—beginning with the Word itself. He’s an unapologetic evangelist, not just for “church,” but for the daily, disciplined reading of Scripture—cover to cover, year after year.

“You look at Genesis: the spirit of God hovered. And then when you go to Revelation...you see the spirit of God there. When you read the book, it is one book... Hebrews 4:12: The word of God is alive, active, sharper than any two-edged sword. That this book is real and it develops our soul. We’re not taught as children how to develop our soul. We’re taught how to develop our bodies, our minds, but where are we shown how to develop our soul? And for me, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, that’s the way to do it.”

Jay describes how his own “masterpiece” began through the humble act of showing up for the Word: not as an occasional resource, not as something to be cherry-picked for comfort or confirmation, but as a daily meal—“the manna from heaven.” He practices this with others: “I’ve demonstrated this with a core group of women...who discipline themselves to do this. I’m finding more receptivity with women—they’re exposing their husbands and their sons and their brothers...” The fruit he describes is unmistakable: patience, gentleness, self-control, and above all, love. The fruit of the Spirit is no accident; it is cultivated, cultivated, cultivated.

Part III: Spiritual Adoption—Healing Father Hunger and Rewriting the Script

But Jay’s journey is also a living parable for the reality of “spiritual adoption.” The ache for good fathers—so pronounced among boys and young men of color across the U.S.—can, with God’s help and even through broken vessels, be met in new ways. Jay’s story is one reminder that, whatever is missing in our earthly families, there is a “Heavenly Father” waiting to fill in the gaps. As he found himself often “fathered” by community elders, by the church, by coaches, and—finally—by the daily presence of the Spirit, he slowly rewrote the script of shame and limitation.

He honors his own father: “His presence meant a lot to me.” But he turns this imperative outward as well: “For a lot of males... they don’t have role models... For those who produce the 30, the 60, the hundredfold...many are called but few are chosen. How do we serve and give our lives to help others around us?” Jay views his consulting, leadership, and mentorship as one long invitation: bringing others into that same possibility of spiritual adoption, discovery, and becoming.

Takeaways: Becoming God's Masterpieces—Whatever the Circumstances

Adversity, when partnered with discipline and faith, can shape masterpieces out of marginal beginnings.
The soul needs habits—daily, disciplined reading, reflection, and practice. Real transformation is slow, deliberate, and fueled by the Word, not optimism alone.
Those who lacked perfect parents or loving fathers need not be doomed to repeat the cycle. Father hunger is real, but spiritual adoption—by God and healthy mentors—can fill the void, liberate the present, and launch a new legacy.
If you are a parent, teacher, mentor, or friend: showing up persistently matters—sometimes more than any words you ever say. What you practice, model, and hold space for in another may be the spark that shapes their masterpiece from the margins.

Jay says it best:

“As we close out — in spite of what your parents, your friends, the teachers, your uncles and aunties told you about who you are, recognize that you are a masterpiece in God’s eyes, he created you for something specific for you, and to not let that go, and to step into that knowing that God loves you.”

If this story resonates, if you know someone bearing father wounds or wondering if their pain has a purpose, share this or leave a comment. Your witness, encouragement, or story might be the light another needs.

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Tonight’s Episode: Becoming The Best Version Of You

We open a new chapter in our weekly series with Suizan Schacherer as we prepare for a special story about Freedom: Freedom from shame. Freedom from fear. Freedom from believing you’re broken.

Suizan found strength in faith, rebuilt her identity, and discovered who she was always meant to be. If you’re tired of carrying things no one else sees — the doubt, the guilt, the frustration — you’ll want to hear this.