A while ago, it occurred to me that I'm often the only man/male present in various places, situations or arenas throughout my life. As a matter of fact, I can say that's it's pretty much the "story of my life." I grew up being the only male in the house with my mom & eldest sister, and years later, along came my niece. However, my point is this... It's the common belief that a woman can't teach a boy how to be a man. I can understand that logic, yet I can attest that through my mother & grandmother, and several aunts, I learned how to respect women, work ethics, self-sacrifice, how to support one another, to be a provider, the value of family, to be empathetic, open, honest, faithful, compassionate, what unconditional love is, and most importantly, Who Jesus is and how to pray to God...
I know what it means to grind, hustle, both legally & unfortunately illegally; to sacrifice to provide, to work multiple jobs and have to walk to each without transportation, to work through the pains of an ulcer while aiming to keep a roof over the heads of, and food on the table for the six others under that roof; placing them before myself, to risk my freedom to see smiles instead of sadness on the faces of the children on Christmas morning, smh... I've been tossed to & fro, lost a couple of very good, well-paying jobs by my own faults and bad decisions, and some I've come to find for the simple reason that my season was over in those places. Through it all, I never have been, nor will I ever desire the woman I'm with to take care of me, for THAT'S NOT HER PLACE, NEITHER HER RESPONSIBILITY. Women were created to be our helpmeets, our helpers in meeting the vision God had in mind for each of us since creation, to lead in dominion. I find it sort of strange that the first mention of a mother is in the book of Genesis, AFTER Adam was blessed with the gift of Eve. It's written, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his WIFE: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." - Genesis 2:24-25 (KJV)... I said I find it strange because Adam, being formed from the dust of the ground, had no mother... hence the phrase, "Mother Earth." And if we pay attention, Eve was his declared his WIFE BEFORE they laid together, BEFORE they had sex with one another, or as the Bible says, BEFORE "...the man "knew" his wife..." So don't believe the hype that people in the world would tell you that because you had sex with one another, you're already married in God's eyesight; that's a load of garbage that will keep you in bondage for the Word of God says that, "marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled..." (Ref. 1 Cor. 7) ***That's for the marriage bed.*** God does things decently, and in order, and His order hasn't changed since creation, so that's a BOLD-FACED lie, people tell you. However, we've all been there, some with the intent to marry, yet intent is worthless apart from action & initiative.
Personally, I've made many mistakes, and erred many times along the way, yet by the grace of God, through learning what a man isn't, those women taught the little boy I was, to be the man I am, to know the role of not only a man, but a husband; and though I was never spoiled as a child, for my mom did what she could in providing for my sister & I. Some on the outside looking in, (outside of the family,) have called me a "mama's boy," lol... I ain't mad at em' though, cuz they really don't know what we've been through as a family.... I count it all joy; the good, as well as the bad, for it's all worked together for my good, and prepared me to love a special woman, my wife, just as Christ loves the church, building a solid foundation together, that will weather all storms... I may not have all that I desire at the moment, neither be where I'd like to be in particular areas of my life. Yet I make no excuses, for I'm exactly where I should be, according to the choices of disobedience & rebellion that I made that have led here. Nevertheless, I'm grateful, for there were many ways that I couldn't have been here at all. I'm grateful to be saved, delivered, used by God, and far from the average male in the sense of my personal morals & ethics regarding love & relationships; grateful to be a peculiar person, made free, whole and new in Christ... I've only scratched the surface in accepting the call to serve, not yet reached the potential God has for me, neither the abundant life of blessings that He has in store for me... Then I think of other men whom went onto greatness, that were raised by single mothers, yet they were unlike me, for my dad did what he could to be a father, imparting wisdom & guidance, yet those men didn't have their biological fathers around at all, George Washington, Leonardo DiCapprio, Eric Clapton, Bill Clinton, Jack Nicholson... Barack Obama... All were so-called, "mama's boys."... Not that I'm comparing myself to their levels, or the ideology of being considered a success according to the world's standards, but God gave me a plan & vision for my life that will take a patient, understanding, strong, and willing woman to compliment me as being my helpmeet. And WITH GOD, SINGLE MOTHERS, YOU CAN RAISE YOUR SONS TO BE STRONG MEN.... As for me, just as anyone else, I'll always be my parents or my mother's child, my dad's, and my Father's son... And the best is yet to come.
<photo id="1" />
I know what it means to grind, hustle, both legally & unfortunately illegally; to sacrifice to provide, to work multiple jobs and have to walk to each without transportation, to work through the pains of an ulcer while aiming to keep a roof over the heads of, and food on the table for the six others under that roof; placing them before myself, to risk my freedom to see smiles instead of sadness on the faces of the children on Christmas morning, smh... I've been tossed to & fro, lost a couple of very good, well-paying jobs by my own faults and bad decisions, and some I've come to find for the simple reason that my season was over in those places. Through it all, I never have been, nor will I ever desire the woman I'm with to take care of me, for THAT'S NOT HER PLACE, NEITHER HER RESPONSIBILITY. Women were created to be our helpmeets, our helpers in meeting the vision God had in mind for each of us since creation, to lead in dominion. I find it sort of strange that the first mention of a mother is in the book of Genesis, AFTER Adam was blessed with the gift of Eve. It's written, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his WIFE: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." - Genesis 2:24-25 (KJV)... I said I find it strange because Adam, being formed from the dust of the ground, had no mother... hence the phrase, "Mother Earth." And if we pay attention, Eve was his declared his WIFE BEFORE they laid together, BEFORE they had sex with one another, or as the Bible says, BEFORE "...the man "knew" his wife..." So don't believe the hype that people in the world would tell you that because you had sex with one another, you're already married in God's eyesight; that's a load of garbage that will keep you in bondage for the Word of God says that, "marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled..." (Ref. 1 Cor. 7) ***That's for the marriage bed.*** God does things decently, and in order, and His order hasn't changed since creation, so that's a BOLD-FACED lie, people tell you. However, we've all been there, some with the intent to marry, yet intent is worthless apart from action & initiative.
Personally, I've made many mistakes, and erred many times along the way, yet by the grace of God, through learning what a man isn't, those women taught the little boy I was, to be the man I am, to know the role of not only a man, but a husband; and though I was never spoiled as a child, for my mom did what she could in providing for my sister & I. Some on the outside looking in, (outside of the family,) have called me a "mama's boy," lol... I ain't mad at em' though, cuz they really don't know what we've been through as a family.... I count it all joy; the good, as well as the bad, for it's all worked together for my good, and prepared me to love a special woman, my wife, just as Christ loves the church, building a solid foundation together, that will weather all storms... I may not have all that I desire at the moment, neither be where I'd like to be in particular areas of my life. Yet I make no excuses, for I'm exactly where I should be, according to the choices of disobedience & rebellion that I made that have led here. Nevertheless, I'm grateful, for there were many ways that I couldn't have been here at all. I'm grateful to be saved, delivered, used by God, and far from the average male in the sense of my personal morals & ethics regarding love & relationships; grateful to be a peculiar person, made free, whole and new in Christ... I've only scratched the surface in accepting the call to serve, not yet reached the potential God has for me, neither the abundant life of blessings that He has in store for me... Then I think of other men whom went onto greatness, that were raised by single mothers, yet they were unlike me, for my dad did what he could to be a father, imparting wisdom & guidance, yet those men didn't have their biological fathers around at all, George Washington, Leonardo DiCapprio, Eric Clapton, Bill Clinton, Jack Nicholson... Barack Obama... All were so-called, "mama's boys."... Not that I'm comparing myself to their levels, or the ideology of being considered a success according to the world's standards, but God gave me a plan & vision for my life that will take a patient, understanding, strong, and willing woman to compliment me as being my helpmeet. And WITH GOD, SINGLE MOTHERS, YOU CAN RAISE YOUR SONS TO BE STRONG MEN.... As for me, just as anyone else, I'll always be my parents or my mother's child, my dad's, and my Father's son... And the best is yet to come.
<photo id="1" />
No comments:
Post a Comment