This
month has contained many memorable minutes that are hard to convey
with out photos and video. Unfortunately, at the moment I have
neither form of media to entertain you. Therefore, I will attempt to
entertain you with my writing alone.
God is
teaching me that life is not about what you do but who you do it
with. I know that sounds super cliché but truth is truth! God
stated early in the Bible that it is not good for man to be alone! I
think right now all the dudes are screaming yeah! Whoo! Gonna get
me a wife and “not be alone”… If those are your thoughts you
may want to stop reading this blog right now cause that is not where
I am going here. Seriously, you dont have to stop reading… but
prepare yourself for a different approach. So here is the point. On
the World Race we live in very tight groups of community. At times
the community is not everything you would desire it to be, but it is
community. Every day I have a deeper revelation of what it means to
live in community. The beauty of community is you have people there
with you. That may not mean that by default they are there for you.
But they are there with you. I used to say you could determine who
is a good friend by who was there when you did not need them. I
still stand by that statement. Good friends spend quantity time with
you! They like to be with you not just there for you.
On the
race I am learning one of the most valuable functions of a friend.
Before I reveal my point I would like to tell you things friends need
to tell each other on the world race…. Especially during manistry.
-
Dude
you smell… Go take a shower -
You
have food in your teeth man…. -
Your
beard is looking thick today -
That
shirt is nasty! Go change -
Don’t
stand on the kitchen table -
I
have not seen you brush your teeth today have you?
If you
are laughing…. you have no idea how smelly we can get when girls
are not around to impress. On a more serious note there is one thing
I have learned in this time with the men. A man is very strong but
men are stronger. A man by himself has strengths but he also has
weaknesses. When we choose to live in community we are forced to
reveal our weaknesses. No one is capable of faking all the time and
certainly no one is perfect. By default our weaknesses are made a
public spectacle at times. This can be very embarrassing or it can
be a pivotal moment in a mans life. If we could all be honest we
would admit that we have blind spots. Areas of weakness that we are
not able to see. I think often people boast so much in their
strength that it puffs up. Sometimes we can not see the trees for
sake of the forest. However, in real life giving community blind
spots are revealed. I have heard it said that a man is only as
strong as his weakness or the woman behind him. I think the two are
one in the same. I can say this for Erika and I hope most wives. A
good wife and a good friend both love you enough to let you know when
you are out of bounds. Moreover, they guide you back onto the field
when you have drifted off. This is the greatest level of community
to me. It is not an insult to be notified you are lacking in an
area. Rather, it is a sign that your friends believe in you. If you
did not believe in someone you would leave them out to dry! However,
when you know they have potential and are capable of more than what
they are accomplishing you press them on. God said that an open
rebuke is better than a secret love! He talks about how he chastens
those who he loves. I am learning that I don’t have to please
everyone and walk on egg shells all the time! If someone sucks at
something it is ok for me to say… hey man you are struggling in
this area and this is one suggestion on how to suck less.
I am
excited to be a part of this month in the wilderness with men! I
know that we have this weird gene that causes us to act like morons
when we get in large groups. But I am also with a group of amazing
men that love God and are serving Him with every fiber of their
being. I respect our differences and am learning that our
differences are what make us so strong. I used to think that
everyone should be just like me because I am so amazing and have the
answer to everything. I have realized that everyone else is not as
close to perfect as I am. (Disclaimer: There was a large amount of
sarcasm in the last area of this blog. Brad was using a joke to make
fun of himself. The viewpoints expressed do not reflect anyone on
the World Race Staff) I think it is safe to say that we are all in a
process that is taking us from somewhere to somewhere else. We can
not do anything to affect where we started but we have total control
over our next destination. The people we chose to surround ourselves
with make or break us. Like your mom always said… choose your
friends wisely.
Friends
are like buttholes…
-
everyone
should have at least one -
some
smell more than others -
they
serve an important purpose -
they
get the crap out
I say all of this to ask that you pray that our group of men enter deeper into authentic life giving community over the next two weeks!
