Imagine a Man………

able to let go of his past, not allowing it to overshadow his future, yet determining to learn from the experiences, realizing that no matter what his past may have been, his present is defined by his current actions; he is constantly aware of who he is and WHO’s he is and, comfortable with that knowledge, continuously striving to be better;  not afraid of or ashamed of or embarrassed by his love for God – sharing that love with others; led by it - able to live his life NOT according to the perception of his 'boyz', but by the will of God;

compassionate, strong in mind and spirit, possessing inner strength; realizing that he is a king, created by God; comprehending that God created him first, from dirt, therefore he is well-grounded, well-founded, and as tough as he needs to be; the first leader; proud of the king that he is, and always representing himself as such; listening and guiding; able to bring himself out of the midst of confusion, not ‘caught up in the game’ – he rises above it;

honest, trustworthy, dependable, and reliable – ‘his word is his bond’; respectful and considerate of others and their feelings; peaceful, responsible – possessing the courage to persevere even when all seems hopeless – always striving to be the best person he can be; forgiving of others and of himself; accepting responsibility for ALL of the choices he makes and taking the lessons from those choices that do not offer the results he expects;

obeying the rules of the world, respectful of the authority of the world in which he resides, but above that, honoring and obeying and respectful of the Rules of God, realizing that his life has meaning – has purpose, as defined by the Almighty; able to bend under pressure, but not break; able to confirm, but not conform; stumble, and sometimes yes, even fall, but realize that he can get up and by calling on the Great Overcomer – he can overcome;

sharing and understanding the struggles of his brothers and sisters; a friend to all who needs it; a man who won’t ask anyone to change themselves to fit his perception, but who’s willing to accept others as they are; offering a shoulder to lean on, while also open to accepting a shoulder to lean on, knowing this, also, is a part of being a man; 

fair, open-minded, tolerant, caring and compassionate; a man who does not view kindness from another as weakness and remembers to say, ‘Thank you’; cooperative, informed, competent, knowing that, whatever decision he makes, he chooses based on reason and moral principles, rather than childlike emotions; 

I would pray to be the man that God wants me to be and that I need to be.