FROM THE DAWGHOUSE…
You read that right: Shebrews. Uh huh.
And the Shebrews are who, you ask? 9 young ladies, so self-named (from their very first Bible Study in Hebrews), in their 20’s who were over for dinner last night with Caron and me, and who usually meet weekly for Bible Study, community, and growth as young, committed Christ-followers seeking to become godly, mature women.
Two of them are pregnant (and of course, dudes, that’s a big topic) and I was really amazed that they would let me into this conversation as if I was one of them. They didn’t blink an eye. Here I am…the only guy in the room watching and trying to keep up with this lightening fast, free flowing, head-spinning, jet fueled dynamic whirlwind of 21st Century women! They are earthy and honest and warm and funny and intelligent and growing and…yes, precious. Gifts, each one of them.
The Shebrews get Proverbs 27:17 big time…
“As Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
Or as the New Living Translations puts it, bringing out the universal truth in this verse:
“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
Friends, sharing the highs and lows of life together.
And then stretching themselves to seek to answer some of life’s biggest questions!
I’ve literally known some of them since they entered the world. Amazing, surprisingly motivating to me, a teacher, who wants to teach, being around people hungry to learn. (A teacher can always pick out true learners.)
In rapid (no I mean, head-spinning rapid) succession we talked about…
Dinosaurs- did they really exist and if so, where do they fit into Biblical history, if at all?…Were they on the ark? In the Garden of Eden? (na they couldn’t be)…to evolution…to the days of Genesis (24 hour solar days or ages?)…to the Nephilim of Genesis 6- where they really forces of the unseen world who took human wives?…Come on!…(Could be!-Old Testament scholars are divided on this)…What about the unseen world…are there really demons and spirits out there and how does that work?…uh, and then to Gender… are their 40 + or 2?…How do we talk about gender issues with people today when we disagree with them?… And what about the multiple wives some men in the Old Testament maintained- did God approve of that? Why isn’t there a greater condemnation of polygamy in the Bible? Why doesn’t the Bible give us more details about some of the questions we have about dinosaurs and all that kind of stuff…and well, more, yes, trust me, more.
Thanks Shebrews! You remind me of what a FORGE FIRE TEAM can and ought to be:
2-4 guys who get together and fight for each other, as we seek to become great men as God defines greatness. We fight in the highs and lows of life as we ask good questions of God and grow in knowledge and living, and carry out the mission of extending our Lord’s Kingdom in our families and other people’s lives.
Guys, as we enter into 2021 begin to meet with at least a couple of other guys who you can really talk about the truly important things in life.
Get in the fight with some growing men.
Talk about the real stuff and get and keep on the grow.
Laugh a lot. Stand together.
Pete Alwinson
