Fathers! Warriors! What does it take for a warrior to skillfully use an arrow? He must first prepare the arrow, decide on the arrow’s target/direction, and then release it to fulfill its intended purpose.
When the scripture tells us in Psalm 127:4 that “Like arrows in the hands of a warrior, are sons born in one’s youth”, it paints for us a vibrant picture of our role in our children’s training, purpose, and release. My mind immediately thinks of the hours my wife and I have spent in prayer over those gifts, callings, talents, abilities, and even iniquities that make each of our children unique.
We are definitely in the “arrow preparation” mode with the young ages of our children. But we can see that we are entering the “target determination” phase rapidly. Our children are each so wonderfully gifted and we love hearing them tell us what they want to be when they grow up. From president to businessman, from ballerina to rock star, it varies by week, but we can see the trends begin to emerge.
It seems a long way until the “arrow release” stage, although those who have walked this path advise us that it will go much quicker than it currently feels. I can only speak from my own release experience when I began to leave the bow. From that experience I think I can speak for many, many of this generation that we are gathered here to father.
What does an “arrow” do with limited preparation and little to no direction? Well, from the looks of it, the arrows don’t know either. So many are walking around in this state that it is what has defined this generation.
Where are the spiritual fathers who will invest their lives to prepare those who have had no preparation?
