It's About Time

That's right, it's about time. It's about time I quit hearing, seeing, and ignoring the invitations that come at me everyday. In fact, ever since I was created in my mother's womb with that Y chromosome, I was invited, invited to be a man. When I was allowed to date that girl at the age of 13, and all the ones after, I was invited to be a man. When I was offered my first beer as a teenager, unknowingly opening up 20 plus years of alcohol abuse, I was invited to be a man. When I played give and take with something too precious to ever get back, I was invited to be a man. When I said my vows two separate times, taking the wheel of two train wrecks I called marriages, I was invited to be a man. When I watched my two beautiful children being born, I was invited to be a man. When I traded doing the right thing for selfishness, I was invited, and once again ignored the opportunity to be a man.

I can count on one hand the moments in my life where I truly accepted the invitation, the invitation from God, not the one the world spits at me every second of every day, to be a man. The times I ignored that same invitation are innumerable. The times I accepted the world's invitation are immeasurable.

A dear friend of mine mentioned today that one of his biggest regrets was not finishing his Eagle Scout status in high school. Praise be to God that there are men out there whose biggest regret is that. I truly have more regrets than I have moments of which I'm proud, yet I am still invited. That same dear friend extended to me, along with fifty or so other men, God's invitation to be a man today, an authentic man. I've been invited to be a man in the lives of my children, in the lives of those around me, in my actions, my words, my thoughts, my behavior, and my life.

It's no coincidence that invitation was extended to me today. I was convicted a month ago at a discipleship conference that I had ignored it for too long. It's no coincidence I finally made it to a men's breakfast at 8:00 am on a Saturday with two children in my care and a whole list of reasons not to go. I kicked it aside and made time, instead of performing a cowardly search for time that I know I don't have. It's no coincidence, it's my duty.

I will not sit idly by and watch my duties as a father and man get handed off to others because I won't step up and take them on myself. That's right, it's about time...

...to be a man. Straining, striving, pressing towards the goal. Forgetting what is behind. Being what I was created to be.

I accept.