True Men

My last two posts on being a man haven’t been very serious. I don’t actually think that manliness is defined by things like blowing stuff up, gutting fish, eating bacon, and lifting weights. Men can still be men while having a variety of interests. Men also come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors, and from many different backgrounds.

But there’s one thing all true men have in common: they submit to God’s authority. This submission includes living with integrity and being faithful, gracious, forgiving, and loving. It includes putting others before oneself, being willing to die for others, and even dying to oneself for others on a daily basis. Real manliness requires (among other things) service to others and submission to God.

Though I’m trying to become a true man, in this lifetime I’ll always be striving, never achieving. Though I can get closer to what God demands of me (i.e., perfection), I’ll never attain it. And I’ll never get anywhere without God’s grace.

One day, though, Christ will return to bring justice to the earth. On that day, he’ll perfect those who’ve submitted to him. On that day, Christ will transform me into the man he intended me to be.

For now, I’ll strive, by God’s grace, to become a truer and truer man until that bright and dreadful morning when Christ sets all things right.

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My Man Break

I recently had a breakdown due to all the pink in my life. To help me through this, my cousin (with your cooperation) surprised me by taking me to see The Avengers.

While the evening afforded me an excellent man break, it didn’t start out very manly. When we stopped for coffee before the movie, I ordered the light roast, I drank it with cream in spite of my impassioned promise to drink it black, and I talked about the fitted polo I recently purchased from Express (for Men).

But once I snapped out of pink mode, things got really manly. We talked about glocks and police chases. We drank our coffee in gulps. We propped our feet up on the theater chairs in front of us. And we cheered as the Avengers obliterated enemy aliens and demigods using NYC as a battleground.

What a night! It’s been a while since I’ve seen a movie in which so many things get smashed and broken (unless you count broken hearts . . . but those are always mended in the end). A good man break was just what I needed to weather the storms of pink in my life. Thanks, Francine, and thanks, Cousin.

My Pink Palace

I’m a man. And I live in a pink palace. But what should I expect? I share my space with four girls.

Sure, I’ve done some manly things in my time. But things are different now. I play with dolls. I go to tea parties. I watch “The Bachelor”—on the edge of my seat. I basically live and breathe pink.

A few days ago, the pink finally got to me. I felt like I was drowning in Barbies and babies and perfumes and pigtails and tutus and teacups. I had to get away. I had to expend some long-pent-up man-ergy. So, I went out to do something manly. I could hardly contain my excitement. There were so many possibilities! Like choppin’ wood or shootin’ guns or cliff diving.

How did I spend my man break? I went to our local coffee shop, ordered a medium iced coffee with cream, and sipped on it as I sunk into a plush chair. There’s something seriously wrong with that. I guess I’ve been pinkified so long that I’ve forgotten how to be manly.

But I was a man once and a darned good one. So know this: next time I get a break, I’m bringing manly back. Next time, I’ll drink my coffee black.

Day 247: Flowers and Manliness

My cousin and his wife came over today and they’ll be staying for five days. Due to that, I’m going to take it easy on myself by committing really simple acts of love during their stay.

When we went shopping for food today, I bought you red roses. I buy you flowers on a weekly basis anyway, but today, I counted that purchase as my act of love.

Incidentally, my cousin bought his wife flowers today too. He and I found enjoyment in planning out which flowers to buy for our wives and discussing what flowers we usually buy, etc. Typically, we plan some fun, “manly” thing to do, whether it’s shooting or hiking or skimboarding or whatever, and finding great enjoyment in that. This time, we were united in our desire to please our wives. But I guess that’s pretty manly too.