As I consistently connect with men in their 30s and 40s I hear one consistent refrain: thank you for vulnerably sharing your own journey particularly your struggles and commitment to keep growing all the way to seeing Jesus face to face. Why? because most of the people they know in the 60s and 70s are coasting, content with the status quo personally, spiritually or relationally.

These young men and women are hungry to hear the stories of spiritual fathers’ who are still doing the hard heart work to grow into being spiritual fathers who are willing to open their hearts and give these young men hope and a way home to the Father and into Eternity

.
We invite you into this prototype event as we seek to inspire older men to persevere on the journey home and to open their hearts to the younger men there and those God gives them in the years to come.

During a time of prayer, Terea of Avila asked the Lord, “Why is there so much suffering?” His response was, “I bring all my friends into suffering.” Whereupon Teresa responded, “Well, Lord, if this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few.”

Life is a journey, and as I look back over my last 71 years, I see how I have been shaped and prepared by the Holy Spirit to be conformed into the image of Christ as an heir, as a well-pleasing son of the Father. But I also see as Paul writes “I reckon that the sufferings we now endure bear no comparison with the splendor, as yet revealed, which is in store for us.” While I was delighted with the tastes of Christ’s splendor, I did not realize that “sharing in his sufferings” would become a significant feature in my spiritual growth and transformation as an employee, pastor, missionary, husband, father, grandfather, son-in-law, and brother. I did not realize that Parkinson’s Disease would today be an essential component to being a fellow-heir with Christ.

My burden has been to continue to look back over these years and see how the Shepherd has led me through the paths of growth in truth and faith and hope and love. How He has intimately led me through “the valley of the shadow of death without the fear of evil.”

I have changed much since my encounter with Him as freshman in college as I began my “long obedience in the same direction” with God. I have been blessed with a wife of nearly 50 years who has been a steadfast friend and love as we followed the paths of transformation with our children and grandchildren, with our friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.

Under the Father’s care, I learned how first to be a servant. And while I was faithful to God as a servant, I yearned to be more than just a servant of God. The Father led me through seasons of the “dark night of the soul,” and I grew to embrace the reality that I am His beloved son upon whom His favor rests. From this revelation, I have grown as a son in these last years, and I am beginning to experience what it means to be the father, a patriarch, loving and blessing His sons and daughters, and helping them discover the perseverance and love and favor that the Father has for them as His heirs.

Larry, Terry, and I begin a monthly zoom call in 2022 to reconnect and share what we were experiencing at this stage of our lives. As we listened to each other share and engaged our hearts over our unfolding stories, it became clear we each have more to offer through our collective experiences than we have a venue to do so.

It reminded me of a brief conversation some 5 years ago after Larry, Terry, and myself had been invited to facilitate a similar event with a large national organization. . I mentioned to Larry then we could offer a similar event to younger men who have been through WS. Since that time, I have concluded not only younger men, but, just as importantly, many older men could benefit from our collective and individual stories of finding significance, value, and impact in the 2nd half or even as some might say the 4th quarter of our lives.
We have found great solitude and peace as we have grown into our true identities as beloved sons, spiritual fathers, and perhaps on our way to being sages.

Our journeys have been challenging, isolating, and yet steadfast in support and vision. We believe by offering our stories and experiences to a larger group of men they also will be given courage and hope to take the next steps into becoming beloved sons and spiritual fathers in their Larger Story.

In my Wellspring experience, much of the understanding of what was happening in my heart came when I shared with other men and when I heard their similar experiences. As I have approached and now entered my retirement years, the search for my larger story and where God was leading me, has become clearer as I have engaged with other men in the same stage. Instead of retiring from something, I found something greater that God was leading me into. I believe the SAGE event will help men see more clearly the significance of their latter years and to find the vision and courage to pursue their greatest opportunity for impact.