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I dedicate this to my two natural daughters, my granddaughter and all the spiritual daughters in my life.  Just because of who you are, you motivate me to find the deeper stuff in my heart.  You make me better.  xo  -mdp-

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.”  Proverbs 13:12, NKJ

I was thinking today how much my mood affects these writings.  I’m in one of “those” moods today, where I want to sit down with young married men over a nice pint, light a cigar, cozy up to the fireplace and have a discussion about all the possibilities of this verse.  The gravitational pull inside my own heart is toward the sons.  I do not have natural sons.  God blessed me with natural daughters and they have taught me a lot about myself.  I wasn’t very good at fathering them early on but they were patient and receptive to all of my blundering efforts to cover them with love.  As they grew up, I grew up.  They actually prepared me to lead in a culture of honor.  They taught me that without love, it is all pointless and neutered.   All of my daughters (natural and spiritual) provide the proper motivation and set the standards that demand a boy to grow up into the full stature of manhood:  Young warriors, princes and lovers of honor and selfless sacrifice.  I have no problem what-so-ever in seating one of the daughters at the table of such fine company.

I fully realize that I have spiritual sons only because of the choices they’ve made to come under my headship, counsel or work.  I have to admit, having sons who pull on my passions and salute my life, is quite the reward for many years of serving God.  They honor me much more than I probably deserve and I take very seriously their desire for a place in my heart.  It really is a wonderful dynamic!  Sons and daughters are truly a gift from the Lord!  The fact that they want to relate makes my world a great place to live!

Now, back to the fireplace, the pint, the cigar and the discussion.  Too many young women, married and single, are waiting for the man they’ve said “yes” to, to become the man that they thought they said, “yes” to.  Desperate and immature men make promises they cannot keep or have no intention of honoring.   They live for the moment, regardless of what it costs them later.  Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Every woman has hope that her guy will be different from the rest.  She has a violent hunger for strength and protection without bargaining arrangements.  They crave the care of an internal strength that produces respect and churns their love.  A woman, who does not respect her man, is a heart-sick woman!  Too many of God’s daughters are waiting for the little boy inside of their guy to diminish and the real man to manifest.   The word deferred is mâshak, maw-shak´. Our vernacular would best describe it as the person who is dragging their feet, shuffling along and basically wasting time.  At the fireplace, we might need to consider the possibility that it is time to grow up and put away the toys of self-centered pleasure.  It could be, that it is time to stop dragging the baggage of our youthful past, into the serious opportunities of the present.  Sir, she is waiting on you.

SOMETHING TO JOURNAL ABOUT

Rohr says: “In order for a man to be born, the boyhood and keeping all my options open, must die.  The man must use his sword to kill the boy inside.” Elaborate on what you think all that means.  A properly initiate man gets this.  How would you suggest we convey this to the next generation?