Guys, We Need You

I spent this morning sitting on the floor in the guidance department at Ashley Ridge High School crying with counselors and students.  Last night the call came that an 18-year old young man, 14 days from the end of his hard-fought journey to graduation, had been shot and killed less than a half-mile from my house. His killer - a 17-year old who got in a fist-fight with him and then resorted to a gun to end the fight.

It's tragic on so many levels.  Tragic that a young man will never get to realize what he could have become.  Tragic that a mother will spend this mother's day burying her son.  Tragic that another young man will spend the rest of his days behind bars.  Tragic that there wasn't a father around to teach these men what true manhood is all about.

I read a book a few months back that I highly recommend called "Generation iY" by Tim Elmore, and in it, he provides the statistic that over 50% of kids today are growing up without a father in their home.   Shocking, right?  Absolutely.  And the effects of that statistic are visited for generations.

Guys, we need you.  We need strong, Godly men to step up and mentor these young men.  

So, here's the deal.  This isn't just a blog post of me expounding on the fatherless crisis in America.  This is a challenge to every guy out there who reads this and who knows other guys.  Every one of you needs to be pouring into the life of at least one other young man and challenging other guys to do the same.  Do it as a father.  Do it as a brother.  Do it as a coach.  Do it as a small group leader for 4th and 5th grade boys.  Do it as a youth leader.  Do it as a neighbor.  Do it as someone who know The Father and as such has love to pour into another.

These boys need you.  We all need you.  Guys, step up.  Please.