The Making of a Man....

When I look at my son it is sometimes very hard to define what I see. One day it might be a goofy kid wrestling with his little brother the next it could be a know-it-all teenager who thinks I just arrived on the stupid bus. Yesterday, I saw something that made my heart swell with pride and also brought a little tinge of sadness to my soul. I saw a man. Yes he is only fourteen, but sometimes age makes no difference. The first sign was when we were listening to a song on the radio that said something like she walks into the club and everybody's looking at her. I jokingly said that's how it is for me...everywhere I go people are looking at me. I thought I was being pretty funny, however he quickly and very maturely pointed out that people do look at me when we are out. It wasn't a people look at you because you are weird kind of statement, but a genuine concern coming from his heart. It made me realize that he is watching out for his mother's well being, and that is as it should be.
Later, he asked me if I had ever been deeply affected by a video game. I don't play video games so the answer would be no. I asked him what he meant, and he proceeded to tell me about a scene in one of his war type games where people are being killed and there is no way out for them. It made his heartache and brought tears to his eyes at the reality of the situation. Some might see this as a weakness, I see it as a great strength! Do we want our men to be hardened with no concern for fellow man or do we want them to have a heart for human life and the plight of others? I will definitely choose the later. It is difficult for boys these days to be sensitive. The world tells them this is uncool. I would much rather have a man that can show emotion, than one that cannot.
The final glimpse of manhood that I witnessed yesterday may seem silly to some, but it was another reminder to me of his maturity and the way he cares for everything around him. A little bird had become trapped on our porch and Tyler tried for 20 minutes to shoo it outside only to watch our stealthy cat leap with open mouth to devour the bird. He them proceeded to chase the cat across the yard to rescue the bird. Do you know how many people I know that would think the bird being eaten was funny? It is more than I can count on two hands.
I know what our society says about the making of a man. They need to be good looking, muscle bound hunks that are cool and have an attitude of indifference. That is not what I want for my sons. I want them to always look after the ones they love. I want them to have broken hearts over hurting human souls and I want them to do whatever they can to protect and appreciate God's creation. That is what makes a man in my eyes!