When a Boy is a Boy No Longer

Spring is the season for many changes. Outside, the weather warms, the snow melts away, and life emerges from the frozen ground. Within our home, Spring brings something else: Birthdays. All three kids have birthdays within 5 weeks. God had a plan!

All of my children are changing, as they tend to do. But, as is natural I suppose, I notice the changes in my oldest the most. He turns 14 today. That awkward age when he is no longer a boy, but not quite a man. I remember those days. They were not easy.

Besides the physical changes, a boy goes through a lot in the process of becoming a man. There is a process of mental, emotional, and spiritual maturing which must take place. Some do it well, others do not. And, quite frankly, some don't do it at all. I have met more than a few who were still boys after 40 years, and some quite longer than that.

I see the changes in my son. He is taking on a new point of view, an attitude of responsibility and accountability. I see this in many ways, but most notably in his spiritual life. He chooses, on his own, to read his Bible. He chooses, on his own, to lead prayers. He chooses, on his own, to take a leadership role with his peers. Those are all admirable traits of which I am proud. They also come with a price.

My son is becoming increasingly dedicated to Christ in a world which is not. And he is getting mature enough to realize it. He has experienced, albeit to a minor degree compared to some, persecution. He has been ridiculed for choosing to do what is right and good when others are following a different path. He has tasted isolation for not joining the crowd. His, being the path of Christ, is not an easy one.

A boy is no longer a boy when life begins to have meaning beyond the moment. I think my son has reached that point. That also means he is now accountable for his actions in the eyes of God. Some call that the age of accountability, and I think that is as good a term as any. It is a monumental point in one's life when you are no longer covered by the innocence of youth, and must have the saving grace of Jesus Christ for redemption. My son has reached that point, and to the best of my knowledge, and by all signs which I see, he is safe and saved. Nothing could make me more proud, or feel more relieved.

My son is no longer my little boy. He is still young, certainly, but before me now stands a young man. I continue to pray that what we read about Samuel in I Samuel 2:26 can be said of my son: And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men.

That, to me, is when a boy is no longer a boy.