I remember while growing up, that both my granddad and my dad enjoyed
watching old westerns. Back then, they would run them on Saturday
afternoons one right after another. Shows like Bonanza, Wagon Train,
Have Gun, Will Travel, etc. I have to admit, although I enjoyed being
outdoors most of the time, I did enjoy watching those old westerns as
well.
My favorite, by far, was The Rifleman. In this show Chuck
Connors played the part of a small ranch owner named Lucas McCain.
McCain was a rough, tough, manly, man, who saved his small town from bad
guys week after week. While, most cowboys carried their pistols on
their hips, McCain opted for a custom made Winchester rifle that he
could unload on his target in a heartbeat. Thus, the name The Rifleman.
Now,
this show has not crossed my mind in years, but recently while visiting
my wife's parents in Tennessee, I was reminded of it. My father-in-law
has a small .22 caliber rifle that fires pretty much the same way that
Winchester rifle of Lucas McCain's did. One evening, just before dark, I
escaped into the woods alone with that rifle and fired off shots just
like The Rifleman. There wasn't much to shoot at out there, so, I just
fired into a mud puddle and mud and water flew everywhere. It took only
seconds, but man it felt good.
I don't know exactly why I found
enjoyment in that but I did. I think we men are just wired that way.
It's the same thing that made me build model cars and then destroy them
with my BB gun when I was a kid. It's the same thing that made me love
to play with fire when I was a kid. Stuff like lining up plastic army
men and taking a lighter to the ones standing in front of the men with
flame throwers. Or, trying to build a land rocket out of gasoline, a
coffee can, rubber bands, a hot wheel car, and a match. (That one got a little out of hand).
It's the thing in us, that makes us
want to live life on the edge. The thing that wants us to be just a
little dangerous. Like Lucas McCain. A 6'5" intimidating hoss of a man
who fears no one. A man who stares fear in the face and it cowers at the
sight of him. A man who can't be bought, bribed, or manipulated. A man.
A manly, man. A real man.
As a parent, I'm sure you find yourself
wanting to protect your children. I know with my sons, I catch myself,
constantly telling them to be careful. The other day when I said that to
my daring little 4-year-old I felt like God spoke to my heart and said,
"Stop telling him to be careful, I created him to be dangerous. "
Now,
there is a stupid kind of dangerous which is the whole land rocket idea
I mentioned above. And, then there is the God-deposited manly kind of
dangerous. It's in us guys from birth. God put it there and he longs for
us to tap into it. The problem is so many of us have been urbanized to
the point where we have lost touch with that dangerous element. We go to
work, come home, go to bed, and start the cycle over the next morning.
We live comfortable lives, in comfortable homes, with our comfortable
families.
Dads, God didn't create you to be careful. He created
you to live on the edge. To be dangerous. To live a life of courage. When fear tries to intimidate you, to
step into the ring and refuse to back
down. In a world where the images of The Rifleman have been replaced by
images that are light years in the other direction, the next generation needs to
see a model of manly men in us. Men who will show their sons how to be
men. Men who will show their daughters what a real man is like.
When
I was in 6th grade, there was this girl I liked. One of the
neighborhood boys threw a tennis ball at her and hit her in the eye. I
immediately took off after him and after a lengthy chase caught him in
my yard. When I caught him, he started swinging his fists at me. My Dad,
who was across the street saw the little scuffle and screamed at me,
"If he hits you again, hit him back!" I couldn't believe it, my Dad
actually gave me permission to hit this kid. Of course, I laid into him
which I was going to do with or without my Dad's approval but it sure
felt good to know I wasn't going to get in trouble for it. My Dad,
immediately broke up the fight and sent the kid home.
My Dad never
encouraged me to fight, but he was also going to make sure he didn't
raise a son who would run from one. He taught me that sometimes good
guys have to do what's necessary to stop the bad guys. He taught me that
real men don't cower to conflict, but face it head on.
Dads, this up
and coming generation needs you. They need you to be the kind of man
God created you to be. A dangerous, manly, hoss of a man. A man who
faces his fears and overcomes them. A modern day hero. A real man.
