Graham's Initiation Trip: Muskellonge Lake...Here we come!
Inititiation: a series of actions that makes a person a member of a group or organization.
This past summer I took Graham on his initiation trip to Lake Muskellonge in the beautiful Upper Penninsula of Michigan. The question that begs answering is, what exactly was Graham being initiated into, and why did I need to drive so far away to do the initiating? The answer lies in the need for a boy to not only grow into a man, but to have a deep knowing that he is a man. I could write for hours on this topic, but for brevity and your sanity in reading this, I firmly believe that our children need initiating into adulthood. I believe that it is the central role of the father to do the initiating with his sons, and I believe that true manhood is derived from by following the ultimate man, Jesus Christ.
When my boys reached the end of their elementary years and were ready to enter middle school, I began this initiation process by taking them on a one on one trip to a place of their choice. The purpose of the trip is two-fold. To give them a clear and fact based conversation about sex, and to hear what God has to say about this very important and sensitive subject. I choose this age because, let's be honest, they are going to hear about it in full volume in the halls of the middle school. Most of what they will hear will be a distorted counterfeit of what God had in mind with the sexual relationship between a man and a woman. I feel it is critical that I beat society to the punch, by taking my boys away, having some high quality, uninterrupted time together talking about a topic that is guaranteed to hold there interest.
The attachments below are the letters that I wrote to Graham to frame our conversations while we were away. I wrote one letter each day for him to open up in the morning, and then talk about that evening over our campfire. I can honestly say, these trips have been the most powerful, God-inspired times I have had with them, and we have memories that will last a lifetime.
Take a look and feel free to use them as a guide to begin your masculine journey with your son. You can also easily adapt them for those dads out there that have daughters as well.
Enjoy!
This past summer I took Graham on his initiation trip to Lake Muskellonge in the beautiful Upper Penninsula of Michigan. The question that begs answering is, what exactly was Graham being initiated into, and why did I need to drive so far away to do the initiating? The answer lies in the need for a boy to not only grow into a man, but to have a deep knowing that he is a man. I could write for hours on this topic, but for brevity and your sanity in reading this, I firmly believe that our children need initiating into adulthood. I believe that it is the central role of the father to do the initiating with his sons, and I believe that true manhood is derived from by following the ultimate man, Jesus Christ.
When my boys reached the end of their elementary years and were ready to enter middle school, I began this initiation process by taking them on a one on one trip to a place of their choice. The purpose of the trip is two-fold. To give them a clear and fact based conversation about sex, and to hear what God has to say about this very important and sensitive subject. I choose this age because, let's be honest, they are going to hear about it in full volume in the halls of the middle school. Most of what they will hear will be a distorted counterfeit of what God had in mind with the sexual relationship between a man and a woman. I feel it is critical that I beat society to the punch, by taking my boys away, having some high quality, uninterrupted time together talking about a topic that is guaranteed to hold there interest.
The attachments below are the letters that I wrote to Graham to frame our conversations while we were away. I wrote one letter each day for him to open up in the morning, and then talk about that evening over our campfire. I can honestly say, these trips have been the most powerful, God-inspired times I have had with them, and we have memories that will last a lifetime.
Take a look and feel free to use them as a guide to begin your masculine journey with your son. You can also easily adapt them for those dads out there that have daughters as well.
Enjoy!
Initiation Letters
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