Thursday, July 02, 2009

Manhood



What is a real man? I have pondered this thought a lot over the last few years. God knows that it took me 30-something years to start realizing what it really means. We have skewed what it means to be a man so bad that it hardly reflects authentic manhood anymore. I have read a few books over the last few years, including the bible, that have shaped and molded me and my ideals to where I am now. Anyway, I am saddened by the state of so many "men" today. Come to a t-ball game with me sometime and you will see what I mean. Dads openly cussing out their boys, throwing fits, or getting thrown out of the game entirely for their behavior. It hurts me so bad, because I know that the cycle will continue unless something happens. We need men to break the chains and be a new link.



I love the picture above. Since retiring from coaching, I was feeling lost without a role on the team. The coach agreed that we could pray together before each game. It has been awesome! But if you look closely at the picture, you can see Braden praying. He is far from perfect, but he knows how to pray and is going to be a great "man" and leader one day! In the beginning, several of the boys didn't know what was happening when we prayed together or what they were supposed to do. Now most of them shout "amen" at the end of our prayers! Amen, indeed.




Being a dad is one of the most amazing things in life. It is so awesome teaching my children lessons about God and about roles men and women play. The other night we were at some friends' house when we discovered a copperhead in the front flower-bed. With the hoe and shovel, the "threat" to my family was taken care of. The kids seemed to be pretty impressed with ol' dad for killing the snake. Jen was hot for me, too. ; ) But what has really been cool are the lessons and conversations that have followed from that event. We talked about my role as protector of our family and how that snake could have hurt them really bad. The kids know that dad will protect them. Sometimes it is hard for them to understand, though. They wanted to spend the night with some friends last night. This was not a good idea for several reasons that I won't mention. I referenced the snake event and how one of my jobs is to protect them. We discussed the reasons they couldn't go, and even though they were disappointed, they understood and accepted my answer.


Here is a quote from Stu Weber on manhood that I am going to tape to the bathroom mirror so I see it everyday:

"The measure of a man is the spiritual and emotional health of his family. A real provider has a vision for a marriage that bonds deeply, for sons with character as strong as trees, and for daughters with confidence and deep inner beauty. Without that vision and leadership, a family struggles, gropes, and may lose its way."



Men...Step-Up.

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