MEN

Good Morning, Everyone.  This morning I have been thinking about men; all the men who have walked in and out of my life.  I am doing this because I have a clinical meeting that will address this issue this morning.  There will be a few of us who will sit and talk about the gift of family and friends and being in an intimate relationship with each of them. 

When I was on the journey of my Bachelor’s Degree, I wrote a report on the changing face of the “father”.  This would have been about 14 years ago now and there was sociological literature being written by men in support of men who were finding it difficult to remain connected with their children when their marriages ended.  I remember thinking that long ago that men needed to have a “revolution” reminiscent of the revolution that women had in the 60’s and 70’s but without the underwear burning and vicious attacks.  The problem, I surmised at the time, would probably be located in the necessity for men to gather and support one another in a more “emotional” way so that their plight would gather for them sympathetic ears and gain momentum.  Whether or not women have reached the heaven of equality that filled the vision of those spearheading the movement 50 years ago, it has still provided an achieved improvement for the young females of today.  Men can learn from that alone.

What has always struck me, though, is how hard we, as a society, try to force feed our need for change.  What also occurred in the transitioning days of the 60’s and 70’s was the war that erupted between the stay-at-home moms and the going-to-work moms.  We saw name calling, derogatory remarks regarding a woman’s desire to remain in the home as a soap opera watching, chocolate eating, under developed intellectual wearing her infant’s various meals upon her clothing, or even the extensive media coverage as to how it was more profitable for children to be raised in a “communal” setting of numerous other children their age being whisked from one play center to another every 15 minutes and how this was to stimulate their brains and we never seemed to get deep enough to where respect, love, and concern abound.  What did God want?

I hope men can learn from our distress, our disgrace, and our sinfulness also.  I pray that they do gather and support and celebrate one another out of love for each other as brothers and that they will allow their hearts to affect their “seeing” of us as sisters, wives, mothers, and friends.  Us women should be able to look at their social issues and assist them as differing parts of the Body of Christ. 

Today, I will ask the Holy Spirit to open my mind and my heart to truly “see” the men in my life and to gain the wisdom as to how they have helped to shape me and introduce me to the world.  Some of it will be joyful.  Some of it will be painful but placing my memories into the hands of God will allow it to be real.  He will help me to understand and become aware of what it is that I need to take with me on the rest of my journey and what feelings and memories I will need to embrace, shed tears over, and leave behind.