It’s a crazy little life having a blog, giving 4,000 nosy and imperfect strangers a pair of binoculars that peer straight into my heart on a semi-weekly basis. This is especially true as a human with a Y chromosome who (allegedly) originated on Mars along with the other idiots that I’m forced to share a locker room with.
You see men are not allowed to show weakness or vulnerability. It is against the man code to apologize and/or ask for help under any circumstance, at any time, for any reason. That’s just not how it’s done here, okay people.
Can I get an a-‘Murica?
A few weeks ago my blog broke down. All the links stopped working. All the pictures went haywire. I spent over 15 hours trying to fix it, searching through forums and emailing tech support. After almost a week, I was left with a throbbing headache and no progress.
While laying in bed, an intriguing thought crossed my mind; what if simply hit the delete button on this whole crazy world I’ve created. How freeing would it feel not have so much of myself out there in the open for everyone to see? How much safer would I feel when someone adds me on Facebook and suddenly has access to my secret life as a blogger?
Even deeper, it’s just awkward to be a man who blogs. Quite often it feels like the equivalent of wearing your sister’s hot pink winter jacket to the neighborhood pickup hockey game (an event that definitely didn’t ever happen to me…).
After an event one Sunday this summer, a member of our church staff went a long rant about how pointless blogs are, how everyone has one and they are merely a tool for people to build up their egos. Nice dude. After his rude and naive speech, he looked at the group of us huddled in the kitchen and quickly exclaimed, I mean none of you have a blog right?
Well friends, how do you think I responded?
Did I:
A.) Sit in awkward silence and look at my toes. B.) Chuckle and reply, “no way, blogs are totally lame…” C.) “Hell freaking yes I have a blog!” D.) Back out of the room slowly and fester my bitterness for months.
If you guessed fester with the rester, yooooooou win! What do we have for ‘em Bob?
The truth is, I’ve been harboring a lot bitterness towards the church in general, as I think most millennials are. Just add this blog comment to the binder on my bookshelf labeled in sharpie “Forgiveness in Progress.”
Why is it so out there for anyone, especially a man, to have a blog?
A blog in its most basic function is just a collection of essays written to inform, amuse and inspire. It is a tool to encourage those around us who are too weak or too afraid to ask for help. It’s the most non-threatening way I can think of to let people get a glimpse of the struggle to become fully alive in God. It is a helping hand, a hug, a place of solace for all those that find themselves in the destructive path of this often agonizing world.
Does it make me a woman for…
Wanting to write? For trying to encourage? For my desire to help people get to know Jesus, the real Jesus? For my wish to give someone just a sliver of light in the darkness? For my hours and hours of hard work to honor a savior who was nailed to cross so that I may have the chance to get a taste of the eternal life here on earth?
Sounds like polka dots, butterflies and rainbows to me.
All my life I’ve been told I’m the wrong kind of man. They say I’m:
Too gentle. Too kind. “You get walked all over.” You’re weak. You’re scrawny. “You’re too nice.” You have too high of a voice. You’re not manly enough. Tough enough. Strong enough.
Perhaps God didn’t create one type of man. If we are created in His image and we all look, sound, and act completely different, maybe God created us different on purpose.
Could it be okay that I can be gentle? Could it be alright that I am not built like a linebacker? Could it be that God created me to be the man that I am on purpose for a purpose and that He is he is insanely proud of me, not for the number of tackles in my career, but simply for passionately chasing His plan for my life?
To my fellow men, I am happy to report that it’s okay be real. It’s okay to admit when you’re wrong and when you don’t have all the answers. It’s okay to let people see how messed up you are and how much hurt you’ve been through. It’s okay to ask for help and let people know when your muscles are tired from carrying your load.
What many men don’t understand is that all of that pain and struggle you’ve survived is not a weakness that should be covered up, but the very source of strength that should be used to show everyone how far a man of God can come when he chooses to turn and follow Jesus.
That’s why this world desperately needs more men to start blogging.
We need to show this next generation that has fewer dads in the home than ever in history that this culture is lying to them. There isn’t one type of man that we should all aspire to be. Our galaxy needs all of us, every single person, to stand up and be who God created him to be. We have to show our boys that there are good men of all shapes and sizes and that we are here for them.
Don’t worry, I don’t plan on hitting the delete button on Recklessly Alive anytime soon (and I think we are completely up and running with a new homepage). I also might have gotten a serious compliment from said church worker a few weeks ago about my “inspiring blog” and “how fun it is to follow my projects.”
So today I go to sleep with a smile on my face, proud of the man God created me to be and the blog we created together. And to the world I say: hell freaking yes I have a blog and so should you.
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These songs can be found in my Spotify Music Playlist, “Music for the God Guy.”
If you’re thinking of starting a blog, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help! I would love to share any wisdom or tips I’ve found along the way. I have also added a “Write for Recklessly Alive” page where I am welcoming submissions for guest posts! Check that out if you’re interested.
Thank you for supporting Recklessly Alive. I am so thankful for each and every one of you.
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