Repost: What it Takes...

Every other week my blog will feature a reposted work. I had been a contributor on two different sites that have since closed or no longer include blogs. I will be reposting pieces that had originally been featured on one of these two sites.  

This was originally posted July 21, 2011

I recently found myself inadvertently taking a cue from John Eldridge and telling my son he “has what it takes”.

The Story:

During a run-in with some very stubborn marker caps I had directed him to hold the marker with one hand and the cap with the other.  Then I covered his hands with mine and took the cap off for him.  I wanted to show him the motion for taking a cap off, even if those particular markers were too tight for his little hands to operate. 

A Reenactment

Since then, he has approached every marker, pen, or whatever in the same manner.  
He holds up the capped writing instrument with two hands, one on the cap and one on the actual pen, and waits for me or someone else to help him open it for him. 

The recent example of this concerned a ball point pen.  I removed the cap but then I told him he could do it himself.  I put it on and off again a few times then handed it to him cap on.  Isaiah successfully removed the cap himself. 

I said, “See!  You can do it; You’re strong enough!”

Then I caught myself.

Am I falling into the Christian-Man cliché? 

Have I succeeded in affirming his Wild Heart?

Do I next have to help him fight a battle and rescue a princess?

But seriously. 

It was easy to affirm his physical strength in that moment at this stage of life. 

I hope I will continue to do so when it’s embarrassing or awkward and maybe not so evident,

and when he acts like he doesn’t want my affirmation,

...and when it’s not just physical strength that matters,

...and when some girl has recently crushed his heart,

...or some punk at school has recently belittled him,

...and even when his strength come into conflict with mine.

He will have battles to fight, battles that are more serious than a pen cap.

He may have Beauty to rescue sometime in his life. 

He’s only just started living his adventure and I hope I can help him navigate it.

I hope I’m the kind of father who always says:

“See!  You can do it; You’re strong enough!”