On Friday evening, we all went over to my in-laws’ house to celebrate Caleb’s birthday, or so I thought. We had a big shrimp dinner followed by dessert and then we moved into the living room to open Caleb’s birthday presents, or so I thought. I noticed that there was a single chair beside the fireplace and a speaking podium next to it. Even after seeing this, I was still clueless as to what was going on.
After seeing this, I was told to have a seat and then my father-in-law, brothers-in-law, Mary Beth’s grandfather, and my dad proceeded to bless me and affirm me as a man. For those who aren’t familiar with what a Manhood Ceremony is, it’s a tradition that our family started in order to affirm and bless the young men in our family as they are coming into manhood.
I was blessed to hear what everyone had to say about me, especially the words that were spoken by my dad. Towards the end of the ceremony, my father had me kneel and knighted me and then presented me with a sword. This was a very special moment for me, and one that I will remember for the rest of my life. The sword had the following inscription on it:
Anthroope Theou (Man of God)
Casey Kurtis Picker
April 21, 2007
1 Tim. 6:11
If you’re a father of sons, I would highly recommend planning something like this for your son someday. It’s a wonderful time for a son to feel his father’s acceptance of him as a man.
As I was listening to my father and father-in-law tell me how proud they were of me, I was reminded of this verse:
“
Proverbs 17:6
Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the glory of sons is their fathers.
”
I am truly blessed to be following such a great legacy of faith passed on to me by my fathers and grandfathers. I hope that Caleb will be able to continue the tradition of faith that was passed down to me. Praise God for His faithfulness towards our family!
