How Far Will You Go?

Matt Fowler blogged on Monday about the Mancation we took with a group of men from our church. There were three of us men who also invited their sons to come along as a way to be intentional about taking their bond of father-son relationship to another level. I was very fortunate to be able to take my step son Karis. He is about to begin his junior year in college. Young men in college don't normally want to take a week out of their summer schedule to spend with one parent, let alone a step-parent.

But I wanted for us to be able to do something together that I thought he would enjoy before he graduates from college, gets a job and only has two weeks of vacation annually. My window of opportunity was shrinking. This trip really had nothing to do with me and what I wanted. This was about getting to do something together with him that I thought he would enjoy doing.

So how far was I willing to go to do something that I thought Karis would enjoy? Answer: 14250 ft, to the top of a mountain called "Quandary" in Colorado.

The picture above shows two guys that are excited about doing something they have never experienced before. You can see the smiles of excitement and anticipation as this photo was taken a very short time after the hike began up the mountain. But this picture does not show how scared I was at that point. This was way farther out of my comfort zone than anything I have ever done in my entire 50 year life. You see, I am afraid of heights. This was a physically grueling and imposing workout to hike 3 miles up this mountain to get to the summit, but besides the physical test, there was the mental test. I was freaking out about my fear of heights along the way. I had to keep my eyes focused toward the top, not over the sides or back down the mountain. I had to continue to remind myself why I was there. This was about doing something together with Karis and I wasn't going to lose out on that. Yet still, the higher we got, the more difficult it was for me to stay composed in my thoughts and not panic and freeze up because of my fears.

Karis on the other hand, was a champ! He was calm and composed. At times hiking with me and checking on me and at other times enjoying the hike with our other brothers in Christ.

All of us were working toward the same goal, to reach the summit. No one was willing to let any person quit. We encouraged and supported one another AND we achieved our goal! We made it to the top!

It's something that Karis and I will never forget. You just can't forget something like that. I got very emotional when we made it to the top because I was getting to experience this with Karis and I knew the turmoil I had faced inside. We got our pictures taken together. We prayed together as a group and then it was time to walk back down the mountain. Now that was entirely another story, but that will be for another blog.

Other memorable things about the trip were that we were able to have devotional times together at night around the campfire where Karis got to hear from other Godly men in the group including myself. He got to hear them share from their hearts about their experiences and what God was teaching them about those experiences. Karis and I were also able to float together in a raft down the Arkansas river through some wild rapids. There is a bond that is developed through doing something together like hiking up a mountain or rafting down a wild river, that is such a blessing. We created memories together that can't be taken away.

And when I had time to sit and pray about the week, and to read the Word of God in this area shown in the picture above, I came across this scripture in Colossians. I felt led to pray this scripture over each person in my family and for each person in our group. I shared this scripture with them all on Thursday night during our devotion time. I told them that I prayed for each one of them personally, replacing the word "you" with their names. I have filled in my step sons name "Karis" below, so you can read it along with the scripture:

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you (Karis), we have not stopped praying for you (Karis). We continually ask God to fill you (Karis) with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, ¹⁰ so that you (Karis) may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you(Karis) may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you (Karis) to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:9-14

Do you have to go to Colorado to create memories with your kids? No. You can create memories by taking them to Andy's custard or to Paradise Donuts. The question is: Are you intentionally creating lasting memories that your children will remember for the rest of their lives. AND do those memories have anything to do with God and how God is working in and through your relationship with your children and your children's relationship with God?