I decided to reread one of my favorite books written by Erwin McManus, The Barbarian Way. In my opinion, the book really targets men. You can sense it from the beginning with the title and the subtitle, The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within. See this post for earlier comments about the book.
One of my favorite stories in the book is the story about his son jumping off the roof. Here’s the story:
Early one evening Kim and I were in the front yard (of their two-story home) when all of a sudden, we heard a little voice calling for us from the roof. As soon as Kim saw him her nurturing instinct kicked in, and she started commanding him to get back inside. I have to admit I was kind of proud of him right then, but what he did next totally surprised me.
Looking past his mom, he asked me if he could jump. When Aaron shouted, “Dad, can I jump?” Kim answered on my behalf, “No, you can’t jump. Get back inside.” As if he hadn’t heard anything at all, he asked me again, “Dad, can I jump?” Now I know what I was supposed to do. A dad is never supposed to override the mom (I’m working on it). I’m just telling you what really happened. After all, he did ask me. I answered, “Yeah, go ahead.”
He said, “Really?” I said, “Yeah, sure. Go ahead and jump.” Kim looked at me as if I was out of my mind and asked, “What do you think you’re doing?” In a sort of explanation I asked Aaron, “Aaron, are you going to jump sometime?” He said, “Yeah, I think so.” I said, “Okay, I’d rather have you jump now so if you jump and break your legs, we can take you to the hospital.” It made perfect sense to me.
He responded, “Dad, do you think I’ll make it?” I said, “Oh, yeah, you’ll make it.” If I knew one thing for certain, it was that he would reach the ground. I just wasn’t sure in what condition. He said, “Okay, I’m going to jump.” I had one suggestion before he took off. I said, “Hey, buddy, try to clear the concrete and land on the grass. It’s softer.” He thought that was a good idea, stepped as far back as he could on the roof, and began running to jump. Just before his first step he yelled, “Dad, catch me,” and I said, “I’ll try.” And he jumped.
I almost caught him. It was so close. He just slipped right through my hands. I think I did slow his fall a little bit. In either case, he’s recovered well since then. I’m just kidding. He was fine. (Don’t try this at home.)
These paragraphs gives you a good feel for the book. It is a short, easy read that will likely help you to start dreaming big once again!
Steve Rice 