The Art of Firewalking

The highest compliment that I remember from my younger years did not come from a teacher, pastor, or family member. It came from a coach, and not even the head coach, at that. After the entire team (B Team) raced him in a one-hundred yard dash, he, the student-teaching coach, looked at me and said, "Turner! You're a man-child!" The rest of the year, I ran my heart out for that coach.

The greatest encouragement of my life thus far concerned the same subject but from a much higher Coach. In my Junior year in High School, I had a running prayer for God to allow me/teach me to be called a man. About two months into this prayer, God whispered quite clearly, "Son, I see you as a man." And now, I am still striving to run my heart out for Him. The problem I now face, however, has hindered me greatly: I'm learning to walk across the coals.

Firewalking: The Rite of Passage
All around me I see people living lives they don't want to live. I see men and women alike unhappy with the places they have woken up to find themselves in. And I have had absolutely no sympathy for them.

I have often asked myself, "Where have all the men gone?" And I find the reality to this question more and more daunting. Mostly because I now stand at the crucial point in my life where I must cross over into manhood.

What pain has gripped me! These coals hurt when you trip! But the pain I now experience as I find myself stretching and reaching for this thing called manliness doesn't only come from my mistakes, but from the society that has lacked in producing powerful examples of manliness.
      


...That, however, is absolutely wrong. I have long shoved most of my inward pain on the shoulders of the lacking society, and I now write this to apologize. I am sorry, society, for blaming you for my failures and short comings.

I hurt, and I cannot escape that. But so does the dying world around me. Maybe men have not taken there place as men because they don't know what it means either. But God obviously knows. I mean, He created man, didn't He? (I know those reading this who do not believe in God or Him creating us will want to stop here, but follow me for a bit longer).

Wanting so badly to understand manliness, I neglected the very foundations of my faith: love. Maybe that's why so many Christian men do not live like Christians or men: they fell into the trap that I am now grappling to get out of--cynicism.

"There are no good men around me, that's why I cannot step into manliness," has been my excuse for far too long. Even those who don't believe in Christianity would agree that life today would be drastically different if Jesus said those same words and never stepped into the life He lived. Regardless on whether one believes or not, the impact of Jesus' life on the world is undeniable.

Instead, Jesus looked at those hurting around Him, men and women alike, and wept for their hatred of life. He wept for others while I weep for myself. The math just doesn't seem to add up. If I claim the name of Christ, shouldn't I weep for what He wept for and stand for what He stood for?

Therefore, I am sorry, society. Forgive me for misrepresenting Jesus and for misrepresenting God. I believe He called me a man, and whether or not you agree with me, I'm about to cross over these coals once and for all. I'm done being a man-child. God called me a man.

Passing the Torch:

Son, if you are reading this, I am 18 years old. Your mother and I are not quite married yet. We plan on getting married in a year. I'm fighting for you. I have made many mistakes trying to figure out this manliness, but I aspire toward making the way clear for you. You are my right-hand man, and I look forward to the day that I get to call you a man. Never seek my approval more than God's, however. That will only leave you with wounds. I love you.

Daughter, if you are reading this, know that I am fighting now to show you what a man looks like. I know even now that you are gorgeous like your mother. Wait for God to send you His man. Learn to love and respect him, but always guard your heart--it is the Lord's first and foremost. My beautiful angel, I love you.

Children, guard your hearts and seek righteousness. Purity and holiness does not come from a standard, law, book, or ritual. It comes only from faith in Christ. If God calls you to singleness, embrace it. He wants your hearts first and foremost. Run the race. Keep the faith.

Your dad,
The man of God,