Do you ever feel that you are still just a kid? It doesn't matter how old I get (not that 25 is ancient or anything) but sometimes being an adult feels just like being a kid...With more responsibility. As I reflect on being a father, after a rather enjoyable Father's Day, I thought I'd mention that simply being a dad does not make you a leader...just as being a male does not make you a man.
Induction into guyhood is a much more frequent occurrence...Budweiser makes guyhood simple...just say "wazzup" (or perhaps a few profanity) to other beer drinking guys and you have made it. Congratulations, being a GUY is about as worthy of praise as having a pulse.
Manhood on the other hand is earned by working, not avoiding work; by being responsible to commitments, and calling others to do the same. A man can have real fun, but it's not at the expense of others, especially women.
Fathers are many; fathers who are the leaders of their family are harder to find. The reason for this may be that leadership is difficult. Yeah, that much is sure. Finding values that are founded on truth is tricky with all the counterfeits in the mix. And then once you've discovered what is good and true, trying to decide what's most important and setting priorities appropriately is a skill that needs constant attention. Finally, being consistent with those values is perhaps the hardest.
I am blessed that my wife, the mother of my children, helps me to find the values, set them up so we know which ones should command our attention, and then we need eachother to stick with it. We're far from perfect, but I think that since we have been married we have helped eachother to paint a shared picture of what we want our family, and the souls in it, to look like.
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