"We begin our journey into sonship by looking backward, to what our lives as boys were like, and, more important, what they were meant to be. For so much of the way we now approach life as men was set in motion in our youth - some of it for good, and some not so good. We want to recover what was good, and find healing for all that was not. Boyhood is a time of exploration and wonder, and to be a boy is to be an explorer, from the time when the little guy figures out how to crawl up the stairs (he is gone in a flash), to the time he discovers that if he jumps over the back fence he can get down to Jimmy's house, where they have a secret fort. When God set Adam in the Garden of Eden, he set his son in a world that was, at the very same moment, safe and secure yet full of mystery and adventure. There was no reason whatsoever to be afraid, and every reason to dare... Evil is - for now - held at bay. Such is the world God intended for the boy. And that world is created under the sheltering strength of a father who makes you feel safe. For this is the time in life when we were meant to come into the knowledge that we are the Beloved Son, the apple of our father's eye."
I don't play a lot of video games. Growing up my dad said there would never be a Nintendo in his house and that I should go play outside. I loved going to my cousin's house because they had one. Eventually my little brother and I got one, and when my wife and I got married we decided to spend gift cards we had gotten from the wedding on a Wii. Again, I don't play that much, but there is one game I absolutely love, and here you get see part of my geek side (which really isn't all that big). My favorite video game is called "Aragorn's Quest" and it follows the story of the Lord of the Ring's movies. It's the only Lord of the Ring's game available for Wii. But my favorite part of the game isn't the aspects of the movie story.
A large chunk of it, and the part that I love most, is the story behind the story. In between levels of the game you play as a young hobbit child, Frodo Gamgee, the son of Samwise, and as this character you are free to run around and explore the Shire. I could spend, (and sadly probably have) hours playing this part of the game. Something about it connects with me, and this desire of being the beloved son. My heart longs for a place like the Shire, a place of serenity and peace. A place to work and explore, and just enjoy the fellowship of close friends. It's pretty much an Eden. I have spent hours working on the layout of a dream for the future, a piece of land, my own little Shire, where I can enjoy that peace and work, where my children can grow up and explore.
Boyhood was meant to be like that, a time of no worries, just exploration and adventures. A time of figuring out and learning. A time of wonder and amazement at creation and the Creator. It is a time to learn that we are prized by our father's, and in that by our Father. It is a time of knowing that you are safe and protected, not simply from harm, but from worry. In college I was involved with a ministry in a local elementary school. One day one of the kids, a first or second grader, told me they were under a lot of stress. My mind was immediately thinking, "You shouldn't even know that word." This stage of life I believe is meant to be the closest we get to Eden on this earth. But it is only that when if there is a strong father to make it so.
"Safe in your father's arms - that is what it feels like to be the Beloved Son." I'm a bigger guy, not fat, but athletically built. My wife is a petite lady, and I love it. When I hug her I can fully envelope her with my arms and broad shoulders. If something happened where I had to shield her with my body to keep her safe I would be able to. And when we have young children, I'll be able to do the same with them. Whenever they are being hugged by their daddy they will know that they are safe. Whenever dad is around they will know that nothing can harm them, that dad won't let anyone touch them, and that dad will always be there to keep them safe.
"The saftey that a father's strength provides allows a boy to be a boy, creates the universe for a boy's heart to come fully alive... When a boy has this confidence, this security and safety created by masculine strength over him, the whole world opens before him. He is able to live as a boy - an explorer and adventurer."
This is where the journey begins, safe and secure in the strong and powerful arms of a loving father. Without this security the journey cannot take place. There is a song I heard late in high school as I was preparing to head off to college. As with any big transition in life there are mixed emotions. Fear and excitement, panic and joy. But this song really spoke to me and this need to be the Beloved Son of God.
Lately I've been winning battles left and right
But even winners can get wounded in the fight
People say that I'm amazing
Strong beyond my years
But they don't see inside of me
I'm hiding all the tears
They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
'Cause deep inside this armor
The warrior is a child
Unafraid because His armor is the best
But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest
People say that I'm amazing
Never face retreat
But they don't see the enemies
That lay me at His feet
They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and and cry for just a while
'Cause deep inside this armor
the warrior is a child
They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and look up for a smile
'Cause deep inside this armor
Deep inside this armor
Deep inside this armor
The Warrior is a Child
No matter how strong, or how old a man gets, there are always times when he needs to be picked up and protected by his daddy. The Beloved Son knows his father's strength, love, and protection, and knows at all times, that the Father will be there.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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