Two years ago we were blessed with a beautifully healthy baby boy, two years ago my wife became a Mom and I became a Dad, two years ago God changed my life and heart and left me staggering in awe. Two years ago God solidified in my heart His desire as a Father. He knitted my dreams with his plans and my hopes with His desires,God declared in my life that my purpose was to Father.

I sat there at the birth of my son a changed man, my heart melted for this little life that He entrusted me with. Never again would I be able to live for myself, never again would I be able pretend that what I do has no eternal consequence, never again would I be able to say that I have nothing to leave the world.

Good or bad, positive or negative, as a father you can be sure of one thing. You will leave a legacy.

So yesterday we celebrated his second birthday, a wonderful time of presents, cake, numerous variations of Lightning McQueen and the CARS crew and a trip to the zoo. It was such fun see him chase the birds, sitting on the lap of the giant gorilla statue and doing his best to beat the lions in a roaring competition.

What a privilege to be raising a son in these times.

Sadly, we are swamped with stereotypes of “Men”, bombarded with poor examples of how boys should grow up. The media is overflowing with men who have become anything but what the name suggests. Politics, entertainment, schools, families, marriages, pastors and the list goes on. Men have become, in many areas, powerless and  insignificant. Justify it or blame it on whomever or whatever you want, the fact remains that we as a group have lost much of what we were created to possess. I am speaking generally, but the starting point of what it means to be a man has been knocked quite a few levels lower than in the days of knights, warriors and explorers.

Many have relinquished presence in the home for the right to wield the remote, purpose for position, influence for finance and destiny for comfort. I must admit I don’t have high hopes for the man of today, and that is why it is such a privilege to raise a son in these times.

I have been blessed with an opportunity to sow into the world a man of integrity, strength, character and purpose. A man who will not yield at the first sign of defeat, a man who will wage wars and win battles while at the  same time tenderly raise a family and love a wife, what a privilege. I get to echo the words of Joshua in chapter 25:14 that ‘as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ Not only that, but I know many men that have the same desire as this, and when our sons are scattered into the world what a beautiful difference they will make. So let the world pervert the meaning of Man, let the definition be watered down, it just means that when the true Men are sown, the harvest will be that much more apparent and God’s name will be glorified that much more. It’s so exciting!

This Sunday My wife and I will be dedicating our son to the our Father God. We will have the opportunity of saying to God, thank you for this blessing, thank you for this opportunity and this gift. We will then have the pleasure of giving him back to God, declaring that he is Gods and Gods to use. We have the opportunity as a family and a church to stand before God and ask for His guidance, his blessing and promise to do our best, with His help, to raise him to be a Man who will one day say “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord”. Are you ready world, I am prepared to put my money where my mouth is, I want to raise a nation changer and world shaper, and I can’t wait to watch my son grow into the Man his God has purposed him to be, an unwavering protector. He may never be perfect, but we commit to raise a son that will worship and live for a perfect God and through His mighty power working through his imperfections, lives will be changed.