What does a Father want for his sons? A Man in World and Wilderness
My oldest son, Joel, and I returned late last night from his long-anticipated Mantrip. From their earliest memories, each of my sons have been promised a long weekend, anywhere in the US, dv, with no plans but the Father and son laying down some tracks at a very important time of his life.
The goal? Memories for a lifetime. Father and son take exclusive time away to discuss some of the greatest pleasures and pains life may offer. Praying, reading, considering the pattern Christ calls us to walk through the Scriptures as men. We are servants, leaders, slaves, followers. We are His, not our own; we have been bought.
Since we live in Dallas and experience metropolitan life as a pattern, we looked beyond the city limits into the wild.
Where? We explored Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, hiked the Lewis & Clark National Forest, trekked the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and fished some of the great waters from every side of the Triple Divide Pass (check pix on fb)
While the experience of 100+ mph gusts, 70 mph sustained winds, and sub-zero temperatures may have (slightly) altered our plans, our weekend surged with more adrenal adventure than should be legal.
Our weekend quickly filled with memories that will never be erased. We talked about becoming a man, being a man, and following the One who created sexuality and defines masculinity through life and death and life again. From Genesis to Revelation, we checked out the breadth and depth of what it means to be created in God’s image and to follow his words. Life, love, marriage, covenant, death–Christ’s word defines them all.
We ate some of the best and worst food of my life, and I have never been colder than I was on Saturday night. By His grace, we will continue to walk in His ways and have many more shared memories like this one to enjoy, together, as sons of the covenant. That’s what this father wants for his sons, because that’s what the Father wants for his sons (Luke 11:10-13).
