GETTING INVOLVED IN THEIR LIVES

As a father of three, my life is pretty busy. My evenings are filled with volleyball games, track meets, and dance recitals as I work to be the best dad I can be. Wednesdays nights, though, are my sacred time. Those are the evenings I spend as the Royal Ranger Commander at my church. When my son turned six, he joined our local Royal Rangers program. Since I wanted to spend time with him, I decided to become the leader of his age group. Each Wednesday evening, I work with a group of boys teaching them life skills as well as how to grow into godly men. We go camping a few times each year, memorize scripture together, and learn about the importance of giving back to the community. What started as a simple way for me to spend time with my son has grown into something much bigger than I imagined. My son is now 20, and I am so proud of the man he has become. He is kind and generous, thoughtful and strong. But I am also proud of the dozens of other young men I have worked with over the years through this program. Some of my boys come from broken homes full of pain. I have prayed with them, fed them, brought them clothes, and mostly, just loved them as a father should love his son. These young men have brought so much joy to me. I know I am much more blessed as their Royal Ranger commander than I could ever bless them. I am so thankful for the Royal Ranger program. It brought me closer to my son. It also brought others into my life that have challenged me to be a better man, to pray more, to love deeper. I know I am the one who volunteered to help at my church with a group of boys on Wednesday nights. But after 14 years, I can honestly say that I am the one who gained the most.