What A Man Does

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! :)

Last Friday I got to see the perfect picture of what a man, a real man, looks like. In a fallen, broken world that is so desperately trying to define what a man is and with millions of little boys running around trying to prove their manhood, a giant stood and demonstrated manhood without ever saying a word.

I was at a luncheon where several people were being honored. The time came for this man and his wife to be honored. The speaker eloquently spoke of all the wonderful things this couple had done. He then asked the man to come forward and be recognized. While I don't know for sure, I believe he excluded the woman because of the ravages of illness. You see, a neurodegenerative disorder has robbed her of many of her mental faculties. While her body is mostly able, she does not show expression, talk to others, etc. Mentally, she is no longer the sharp, vibrant woman she once was...neurodegenerative disorders are so cruel!

After being called to be recognized, with applause ringing throughout the room, this man rose from his chair and walked over to where he had placed his wife's walker along the wall. He brought it to her and loving helped her rise from her chair. He then escorted her to the front as the room became quiet. The whole thing took probably 3 -4 minutes and taught every single male in that room what a real man looks like, what a real man does.

At an event that evening, thankfully, I ran into this man who I had never spoken to before. I told him what a powerful example he had set for every person in the room at lunch that day. He thanked me for my words and then said, "I have been married to her for 67 years, I could not go up there without her." You see, when Ephesians 5: 25 - 26 said, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless," he took it seriously.

I am reminded of the story of the gentleman who went to a doctors appointment. He kept asking the nurses if he would be done by a certain time. The doctor asked him why he was so concerned about the time. He stated he had to go see his wife who was suffering from the advanced stages of Alzheimer disease. The doctor said, "Why are you so concerned? She doesn't even know who you are any more." The man replied, "She might not know who I am but I still know who she is." A real man! :)

I absolutely love the country song, Drunk Girl by Chris Janson. I have had every one of my boys listen to the lyrics of this song and if you have the privilege of being a parent to a boy, I would encourage you to do the same. There is this one line that always speaks to my heart. It says, "Pick up her life she threw on the floor." Think about that for a moment, Friends. How many times have we seen people throw their lives on the floor? Poor choices, the storms of life, crippling circumstances. It doesn't matter the cause...most of us have been there, when we throw our lives on the floor. What do you and I do then? Do we stomp on it? Kick them while they are down? I will tell you what a man does, a man picks up the life they threw on the floor. We all need someone to pick us up sometimes!

And a lyric that is sung throughout the song? "That's how she knows the difference between a boy and a man." I pray I will be half the man the gentleman I told you about is. He preached a sermon last Friday,without saying a word, that I will not forget the rest of my life.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev