Though we are still in the midst of the pandemic, I think the healthiest thing we can do is not always talk about the pandemic! What I’d much rather do this month—what I am so excited to share with you—is an excerpt from our teammate Morgan Snyder’s first book, Becoming a King, which comes out May 26! Here’s why I think this is really fitting…

We are all hoping to come out of this hard, shared, global trial stronger, more mature, and more rooted in Jesus. Becoming a King is a book all about that, about the process God takes us through in order to shape us into the kind of people he can entrust with his kingdom. Morgan begins with a tough time in his life, which I think we can all relate to:

“More than a decade ago, I found myself in a personal wilderness—lost, alone, disoriented, and very afraid. In a bitter place.

I had a beautiful wife, two healthy and happy kids, meaningful work, and the beginning of a little nest egg for the future. What more could a man ask for? But when I was finally honest with myself, the steady waves of discouragement and anxiety were undeniable. Looking at my life as an iceberg, the 10 percent above the waterline looked impressive. But the 90 percent below told another story: I was not well; I was submerged in pain and confusion.

My inner life was not what I’d envisioned. Perhaps better said, I had not become who I’d envisioned. I’d made what I thought were good, honorable decisions to get where I was. But where I was wasn’t good, at least not on the inside. And so, as every good story goes, I left the comfortable and set my soul on a quest. It began with a single letter. 

I found the oldest man I knew and respected, and I put pen to paper the questions in my heart. In time I formed a list of all the older men who, in one way or another, had a place in my story. I sent letters to them, asking for their counsel. I asked those in faraway states or countries for a letter in return or a phone call. Responses from those closer by came in conversations over a pint or with a cigar by a campfire. As the experiences grew, so did the list. I kept adding to the ranks more and more guides, men in front of me on the masculine journey. Over two years’ time, the number grew to nearly seventy-five sages, with whom came a treasure chest of clues to an ancient path. 

As I sat in their counsel with a stack of notes, I started to notice the themes of their responses, and with those in hand, I began to add to their advice the counsel of the great heroes of our faith down through the ages. The Father’s affection and assurance began to break through to my lost and weary soul.                

Son, you’re not behind. You are on time. And you’re going to be okay.

The lives of these elders represented a variety of vocations, socioeconomic thresholds, faith practices, and journeys. Yet through the diverse experiences of these men, a common path emerged: each man had been entrusted with power and had to navigate a process of restoration to become the kind of man who could handle it. There were consistent themes, spoken in many different terms but all with the same heartbeat. Men reclaiming their identity, their strength, their integrity, and their purpose through becoming a student, becoming a son, and consenting to the slow and steady process of inner transformation.”

I (John here) want to pause the excerpt for a moment to highlight a few things. First, the path of the transformation we all long for is something we simply have to accept takes place over time, in a “slow and steady process.” It’s important we name that, because our world of smartphones,  Amazon, and Netflix taught us we can have anything, everything, really quickly. It’s just not true; especially in the life of the soul. But there is a process we can discover, there is an “ancient path” of life with God. This is what Becoming a King is all about...

“As the years transpired, a map took shape around signposts rendered from the joy and suffering I witnessed in the lives of these men. After a decade, through the urging of trusted friends and growing out of my work rescuing and restoring the hearts of men, I began to realize this map was not for me alone. It was meant to be shared. This message is my effort to share that map.”

We’ve put together a fabulous package of resources available for all those who place an order for Becoming a King this month, including a special podcast with Morgan’s wife Cherie and the wives of men who have consented to the path and process of Becoming a King for more than a decade! Preorders also come with immediate access to the first three sessions of the Becoming a King Video Series and the first three chapters of the Becoming a King Study Guide. 

You can order now at www.becomingaking.com. 

Over these really rough months we’re living through, I’ve been saying to everyone I can, “Let’s make the enemy regret this! Let’s come out of it deeper in God, stronger in spirit!” That’s our prayer for you this month! May you find yourself rooted even more deeply in God, stronger in spirit, embracing the ancient path of walking with God through hard times towards wonderful breakthroughs.

In love,

John

Download the Wild at Heart May 2020 Newsletter here.