by Tim Strickland
A few years ago I attended the National Coalition of Ministries to Men Conference and got a chance to hear about what is happening across our nation in regard to men’s spirituality. One of the speakers was the President of Promise Keepers (PK), a Christ-centered organization dedicated to introducing men to Jesus so they will grow as Christians. My heart beat a little faster remembering the spiritual prosperity that came from attending their conferences in the late ’90s. Those conferences were significant and influential to my journey and were some of the first times I witnessed men embracing God’s truth in such a powerful way so that it impacted their masculine journey.
The key scripture from my first PK event was Joshua 24:15, which declares, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” That verse and that time set an anchor deep in my heart to step into the role of spiritual leader of my family. Although I wasn’t sure what that looked like, I knew I could trust God with it.
At the time I wasn’t thinking strategically about my spiritual life as much as pursuing what the Lord set before me. In hindsight, these 30 plus years later, I see the threads of His providence that have run throughout my life. His wisdom, grace, and mercy changed the trajectory of everything in my life, my marriage, and how I fathered my son.
Nine years ago, my son was “adulting” and buying Christmas presents with his own hard-earned money. On Christmas day, he and his girlfriend handed my wife and me a gift, which we excitedly opened, wondering, “What would he give us for Christmas? What would he think we might want?” Inside was a plaque they had commissioned on which was written, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Our family name was lightly penned behind the verse, much in the way God has always been present in my life. It was a full circle moment. When exactly had I become some of the man I had longed to be? How blessed was I that my son would recognize something in me that I longed for him to see? Tucked within that very special gift was also an affirmation from God!
Whether you are strategically planning your spiritual journey, or taking it as it comes, I pray you connect the dots when the “full circle” moments come. And if you are looking to place a strategic stake in the ground for you and your son, or for yourself on your masculine journey, we would love for you to join our partner ministry Christ in the Smokies at their Passage to Manhood camp or Way of Wisdom this summer and fall.
Tim, Toni, and Taylor Strickland
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