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Being a man is a dangerous thing...

Tony, my younger brother, turned 18 this week and I was privileged to attend his birthday party. I thought too late about what I could buy him for his birthday and had to resort to give him something of my own. It would be an easy enough task as I own lots of neat gadgets and things an 18 year-old would like to have. But I knew that I needed to give Tony something extra special--something of significance to mark his 18th birthday. Something to initiate him into manhood.

And that's when I thought of it. I have an awesome lightning bolt looking sword that I keep under my bed and it looks like it could do some serious damage to someone. Tony has seen it under my bed when we were roommates and I know he has always taken a fancy to it (as well he should). I also know that Tony can be impulsive and not think before he does something, so the thought of giving him a sword seemed like as bad an idea as it did good.

But that's when the thought came to me: being a man is a dangerous thing. "With great power comes great responsibility," Tony said upon receiving the gift. A sword has the power to cut down or to defend. A sword has the power to threaten or protect. A sword is powerful in the right hands and deadly in the wrong hands.
Being a man is a powerful thing, but only when channeled through noble intentions. Tony has been given the great responsibility of becoming a man--a dangerous man. Dangerous because he is capable of so much. Dangerous to some young girl's heart because he is capable of wooing so well. Dangerous to his future employer because he lacks experience in most fields. And yet dangerous to the devil, because of the Word of God he carries in himself.

Tony, welcome to manhood. It is a terrible, wonderful, dangerous place to be. Treat it with caution, as you would this sword. Use your adulthood to protect those who can't protect themselves and use it to defend the defenseless. Not with acts of power, but with acts of humility. When you humble your strength to meet the needs of someone weaker then you, that, my brother, is the true mark of becoming a man. That is when you know you are ready to bear the sword.
I trust you to carry it well.

Comments

  1. singredeemed83September 23, 2013 at 11:41 AM

    I love you Daniel. This is perfect. I'm glad to have married such a man and I'm glad Tony (and Andrew & Isaac) have you for a big brother.

    ReplyDelete

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