Hello Friends, I hope that the Christmas break has been restful, safe and relaxing. Does anyone else find it hard to believe that we are in 2024? I know that it’s so common to marvel at how quickly time goes by…but wow, doesn’t time go by so quickly?
I’ve been teaching in a high school setting for some time now, and whenever I would start a grade 10 Canadian history unit on the Turn of the Century (1899 – 1900) I would try to bring some context and tell the students that we have something in common with Canadians who lived a hundred years ago… We also experienced the turning of a new century going from 1999 – 2000!
Well, one time when I said that, a student raised his hand and said, “Sir, we were born in 2009…”
I never made that reference again…
So yes, time goes by quickly, but I do believe that there are somethings that do remain timeless. I would like to take this moment to speak directly to all the men who are reading this post and I would like to invite you to participate in one of my New Year traditions.
Almost every New Year I write a letter to all of my four children and my wife. For my children, I take the time to reflect on the past year and how much they have matured and what characteristic or quality I admire most for each child. In the letter, I encourage them and speak positive words into their lives. I end this letter letting them know how much I love them and how much God loves them.
It’s generally about a page in length, but yours can be however long you like. As for my wife… well that’s personal! Lol! (Seriously, I let her know how much I love and appreciate her and reflect on our life in the past year and talk about what things look like in the year to come.)
You would be surprised how powerful written words can be, and how much your children -regardless of their ages- really long to hear and read words from the important men in their lives. My teenaged daughter reminded me (out of the blue) that she still had my letter from one of the past years in her Bible.
Gentlemen, our kids and the young people that we mentor need to not only hear, but see our written words. Personally, I have found at times that it is easier to write than to speak. Furthermore, the written word can really speak to someone, and it will be around when they are ready to hear it.
In any event, we need to encourage those that are closest to us in our sphere of influence. God has designed men not just to squash bugs, but to speak encouragement into the lives of people who are close to us. I believe that as men, this may be one of our most important mandates. (I talk about this in much more detail in the book I published in July of 2020 –The Genesis Man.)
If you feel that you can’t write or you don’t have the greatest grammar skills, I would be more than happy to help you to edit your letters and offer some suggestions. But really, you just need to speak from the heart and the Lord will help you. (Trust me, your kids won’t be marking you on spelling and grammar…) If you’ve been present with your love ones you know what to say. If you haven’t, well this could be an opportunity to begin 2024 on the right foot.
Could we try this new thing this year? Also, I would love to hear how your story develops after this task. Please contact me below. Have a wonderful, prosperous and blessed New Year.
Israel Harriott
(Men’s Ministry Director, COGOP Eastern Canada)
The Genesis Man Project 