Getting Through It

Last night our Porch group welcomed back Tom from NC. It was as good an excuse as any to gather and discuss life, cigars, and Jesus’ place in our lives.

Besides Tom the Alum, the circle included a new friend from New Zealand, transplants from Kansas, Colorado and Montana and even a few locals from right here in Maryland.

And when the porch is “open”, it is always interesting to see what thoughts and questions enter the discussion.

Last night what kept surfacing was along the idea of “what are the signs/signals along the path of life where you can tell you are a Man?”

Phrases such as: it’s a lifelong process, taking responsibility, having courage, owning your life, having something bigger than yourself to fight for all entered the circle of discussion.

My son Michael brought up an idea along the lines that “being able to get through it” is a sign you are becoming a man. He said we all have an “it”, and used the disciple Peter as an example of a man he admired who got through it (his denying Jesus 3X) to become a man (and leader). He faced his stuff head on and stood up and led as a real man.

But the point I took away last night was not what idea anyone took away regarding the question of the night-it was the fact that we were involved in a forum to be able to process this type of a question.

There is something built in me, and many of my friends, to have a regular gathering place to discuss issues and thoughts to figure them out-if they are true, where God fits in, how to live stuff out, what is BS, what are we not talking about, etc.

There was some agreement last night that most of us have either gone through some deep stuff or are in the midst of figuring out what it is that we need to go through in being a man. This is a lifelong process and having discussions like this out on the porch are helping.