One of our responsibilities at debrief was to write down the “cry of our hearts”; a description of the mission that we feel God is putting on our lives. This was an exciting assignment for me because I felt like Australia was a month during which God made a piece of this mission abundantly clear to me.
It all started with an aboriginal boy I met in Bagot. My first introduction to him came when I heard a loud crash during our children’s service. It turned out that one of the other kids had punched him, and he decided that the best way to handle the situation would be to throw a flashlight at the other boy (I know that out of context this situation sounds out of place for a children’s service, but fighting like this is commonplace for both children and adults in Bagot). Before the situation escalated any further, I took him aside so that we could talk. I asked him what had happened, and talked with him about some different ways that he could have handled himself. I asked him to promise me that he would behave himself, and I told him that since he’s a man, I would take his word for it if he shook on it. He promised me, and then shook my hand, and I thought very little of it. Then, as the day progressed, I noticed something completely unexpected happening. This boy was trying to keep his promise.
As it turned out, the kids picked on him relentlessly because he was from a different tribal group. They would make fun of him because he had a girl’s name, or because he couldn’t read, or because he was poorer than them. To be honest, I could hardly blame him for reacting so violently; the other kids would punch him and throw rocks at him, and he certainly couldn’t rely on any of the adults to stand up for him. The kids in Bagot seem like something directly out of Lord of the Flies. But through it all, this boy tried his best to keep his promise. Instead of throwing punches or profanity, he would come and tell me if one of the other kids messed with him. I noticed that he was staying close to me a great deal of the time, probably because he finally felt like someone cared enough to protect him. I realize now that I was probably the first person in his life who ever treated him like he had any value. I treated him like a man, and in doing so, gave him the responsibility to act like a man. Through this situation, as well as many others, God started changing my heart. I started to realize what God has put me on earth to do. He wants me to be a father.
When I say he wants me to be a father, I don’t mean just in the literal sense (although that too, hopefully). I mean that he wants me to seek out boys and young men who don’t have a man in their life, or that have a man in their life who simply isn’t doing his job. He wants me to fill that void for these boys; to protect them, and teach them, and most of all, bestow manhood on them. I read a book called Wild at Heart that talks about how few real men there are in the world, and how only a man can bestow manhood on a boy. Mothers, try as they might, cannot do it. This has inspired me to become more secure in my own manhood, and now I’m feeling the responsibility of passing it on. And when I say manhood, I don’t mean the caricatures of masculinity that we see around us every day. I mean teaching boys how to treat women with respect. Teaching them to love God. Teaching them to believe in themselves. Telling them that they are good enough, and that I’m proud of them. These are the things that boys need to hear, and there are so many out there who have never heard them even once in their lives. This is the role that God chosen me to play.
I don’t know what this will look like when I come home. I have had ideas of becoming involved with an orphanage of some kind. Maybe I’ll become involved with the youth group at church. I might just sign up for some kind of existing mentor or big brother program. I have even had ideas of starting some sort of an adventure camp for boys where we (myself and a team of some sort) take them out into the wilderness. We could teach them life lessons, and challenge them emotionally and physically in ways that would build their self-confidence. It would also give us a chance to talk to them about God, and bestow on them a vision of what a Godly man really looks like. This is the idea I’m most fond of, but it’s also the one that would require the biggest commitment from me. In the end, I will do whatever God asks me to do, but I am not yet entirely clear on what His will is for me. I do know, however, that I am excited to see what His plans will be, and I am really excited for this calling that He’s put on my life. When I left on this mission, I asked God to break my heart for what breaks His. I never expected that this would be an area in which He would break my heart, but now that He has, I’m grateful for it. Please pray for me as I endeavor to learn more about God’s plans for my future, and naturally, I’ll keep you updated on any new revelations as they happen. I can’t wait to see where this path takes me…
