Boy meets world

Thursday evening,I had the chance to talk to an old friend who is- "the man." Continue reading so you can understand why I refer to him as "the man".I am sharing this because I believe that this will help someone understand the role of men as it relates to purpose.

This friend and I spent a few times talking in high school,but aside from having swag,poetic skills as a rap artist and cute,his aura of "acting" like a thug was intimidating.The reason I say that he was acting like a thug is because God gave me an x-ray vision that there was a tender,wounded and intellectual man trapped inside his body.He was not an average guy at all. He wore braided hair for a while and was always prepared to fight if people stepped to him or his bestfriend (now deceased) the wrong way,but in the classroom- a genius. Again, not your average guy.

Twelve years later, that wounded and intellectual young man has been strategically place on the path to SEEK out purpose.He recently celebrated the birth of his beautiful princess and according to him- he will never be or think the same because of this.I had just left work telling God in my car that corporate America only cares about productivity,numbers and not the person behind the productivity. He felt the same way too.So I am on a prayerful quest to find God's purpose for my life.That's another blog.

I will not be able to share all the details about our conversation because you will be reading all night. What amazed me about my friend is how much he has gone through as a young man, but mostly his thirst for a relationship(not religion) with God and vision for his family. As a woman,I often think about why some men toss their penis every chance they get;why they leave their children to fend for themselves or why it's so hard for them to commit to anything. But my friend began to share with me how the absence of his father contributed to his brokenness as a man.After living a life where driving luxury cars,traveling and wearing the best was not an issue- life was not always good.So ladies,we're not the only ones who are dealing with things.Men aren't emotional so we will never "see" the pressures they are faced with day to day.So pray and praise a man who tries to share his life with you but is struggling with communication.

Anyway,I sat in awe as he described the night that he had a gun held in between his eyes and how his baby brother was shot in the leg because the robbers thought that he was a drug dealer.Now I know you're wondering how he was able to live such a lavish life.Well, he comes from a family of hard-working men that believed in providing for generations.His mother, owned a prospering day care center.So he inherited the entrepreneurship spirit and started businesses of his own. He has a love for music but he is still motivated to believe that even out of wed lock, his daughter is NOT a mistake and God will establish him in time.I will also add that he is providing for his girlfriend and making sure she fulfills her dream while God is working on him.Again,he is "the man."

My friend's dad was in and out of his life;married at least 3 times;now separated and is now seeing a woman half his age.For everything that he believes he was suppose to know and develop into as a man, his father did not teach him those things.His father's absence created insurmountable pain for him & his siblings that God is now repairing.Today,my friend has been on a quest for the past two years dissecting the word of God,learning about the kingdom and making sense of what it means to be a father and LEAVE behind a legacy.He now spends long hours being fed at the table of great men such as Dr.Myles Munroe and Dr.Creflo Dollar in his home.

So what am I saying to you? I am a firm believer that a man is the head of a household and a woman's job is to help him with an already-given vision.The reason why the body of Christ is in shambles is because the enemy is on a never-ending quest to steal,kill and destroy the men.From the government,to businesses and ministries, men are the vessels that God uses to maintain structure.But as we watch the news around the world,the majority of men who are alive are not even persuaded to wanna talk about God, much less walk in obedience.I will pray for him as he prepares to sit down and share his heart with his dad.

So if you're a man who is reading this blog,I charge you to find out who you are supposed to be in God,evaluate your past decisions and begin to seek answers.If you're a woman reading this,do the same.But what empowered me while talking to my friend is that there are young men out there who want answers but need guidance.I find it sexy when a man is not intimidated by people because he knows his identity.Finally,I'm reminded of the analogy he gave me of how when a kid is crossing the street, they lift their hand up because they may get hit by a car crossing alone.As a christians,it's time to lift up our hands AGAIN and let God re-define us and show us how to SEEK a life of purpose.I celebrate my friend and other broken men on a quest for purpose because it's only a matter of time before God establishes them