Real Men - Real Fathers

I take this time to pay respects where respects are due; to REAL MEN WHO ARE REAL FATHERS! Fathers day comes along every year and we generally take one Sunday to say, "happy father's day!" However, we often continue on with life without really reflecting on what it takes to be a real man in society today. A real man isn't just one who has a job or has a nice automobile. A real man is not one who has a sexual organ that proves he isn't a female. A real man is one who understands that his responsibility is directing the next generation into a better tomorrow. On the campus of Morehouse College, my alma mater, there is a statue of one of the greatest men that ever lived, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the reason I bring this up is because the statue is erected with Dr. King pointing forward. The statue suggests, just as Dr. King insinuated in many of his speeches, that the life is not for just today but for tomorrow.

A real man is not caught up with the intricacies of today. He does not take thought with where he will sleep or what he will eat but he is fixated on making sure that his children have the right foundation on which to build on that which he leaves behind. A real man is not encumbered with the number of women (or men) he sleeps with but he's unselfish in making sure that he leaves an inheritance to his children's children. A real man is not worried about depreciable assets such as cars, clothes, or anything else that drops in value after it is purchased but he's more concerned that his legacy "spands" down through the centuries. A real man, and I do mean a real man is not worried about making a "name" for himself because he understands that if there is a "name" to be made it will only take place through the embodiment of his offspring.

Now, understand this, nowhere does a real father need or have to physically birth a child to be considered a real father. I say this because throughout this nation there are plenty of children being born everyday, however, there are very few men stepping to the plate to watch over their inheritance. I say inheritance because that is, in fact, exactly what children are, an inheritance given from God. So, I again pay tribute to Real Men who are Real Fathers, I being one of them, because a real man is unselfish in his quest to watch over the next generation. A real father is not focused on the blood that runs through the veins of a child in considering whether or not he will "stand in the gap" as an intercessor. A real man who becomes a real father does not just sign up for a temporary assignment but understands that this is a permanent position in life. A real man who is a real father is not just around for the good days but is aware that there will be difficult days ahead as well. A real father is more concerned with pointing a child forward into their destiny. That's a real father and today and everyday I thank God for those of us who have transcended time in order to see that our tomorrow is better off today!

God bless the real men who are real fathers; not because of their ability to make a child but for their ability to be unselfish and give LYFE and vision so that a child can grow and understand their purpose in life. I have come to realize that the "D" in Dad stands for Destiny!

Dad is Destiny! Now that's real talk...