Turns

 

"And when your children ask you, what does this ceremony mean to you?" Exodus 12:26

He has endured the competition and comparison of 4 older brothers… not an easy task when you’re an introvert. Of all my sons, Isaac is the most laid back, I call him my shadow warrior. He has a laser focus and a huge heart… when he feels… he feels deeply. I know what it is like to be the youngest of brothers and although Isaac’s brothers are wonderful; his road to this day has been a stretch.

Tonight is his turn

Tonight my shadow warrior steps into the front of the crowd to receive his sword. His manhood ceremony will be a collection of men of my choosing and his. Words, prayers and exhortations will fill his ears and his spirit… this impartation will change him forever.

What does this ceremony mean to me?

Ceremonies are like stepping-stones, not only setting a direction in which to go but leaving a path to follow as well. When God is in the ceremony, it creates a stream of change that carries beyond the event itself. It places within us a marker of remembrance, one that pulsates with memory waves. These waves ripple through our lives and lap at the shore of discouragement and remind us that the Father will always encourage and affirm us.

Isaac is my last son to receive his sword, in so many ways; this is a rite of passage for both of us. At the end of the ceremony my five sons will raise their swords together and say these words I wrote many years ago…it is our pledge.

Honor, Respect, Courage
In Christ
For Christ
For Family
For Brotherhood
Forever

It is a pledge that continues to unite us and turn our hearts towards the one who made all this possible…our heavenly Father.

How about you…do you have a special ceremony that connects you with the Father?