In the Spring of 1999, I was worn out. In nearly every way. I was commuting to a job 3 hours away 3 days a week for over a year. The same year we self-contracted and built our house.
But more than the physical exhaustion was the lack of true life. I had a wonderful wife and 3 great kids. But it was like being stuck on a treadmill that never went anywhere…or at least nowhere meaningful. I was perpetually detached.
My wife would call me out on it tearfully about once every 3-4 months. (You know THE TALK.) I was giving all I thought I had to give and it still wasn’t enough. I thought I was being good and responsible…more than most. But I was routinely aware that I was falling short of the mark.
It was in that place I was shamed into attending a Boot Camp on which ManAlive EXPEDITION is patterned. I didn’t know what to expect. The guy who invited (shamed) me wouldn’t tell. I was a little afraid… like you are when you go to the used car dealership and are likely to get hosed.
Over that weekend, my heart came alive for the first time in ages. The sessions opened my eyes to the bigger story I’m living in. Or pulled back the curtain so I could see what was going on behind the scenes in my life. Some things made sense for the first time. And not only that, I was equipped to take a new direction in my walk with the Father. I came to the camp in the dark and left with enough light I to see by.
Six years later, me, my wife and kids live in this new reality now and we are SO much better off for it. We realize are no longer incidental pawns in the chess game of life. We are receiving healing in our hearts and psyches for places that have been wounded and which shaped our reaction to the world. We are being equipped to live a real life. One full of power and adventure and fullness.
I’m glad I succumbed to the pressure. Best exchange I’ve ever made in my life. It’s why I joined the ManAlive EXPEDITION Team when it started up. I want others to live this new life too. It’s REAL life. It can be had! Living in adventure close to our father is what we were meant for.
