A man worth being.

     For those of you who don't know, I like to read.  A lot.  It is unusual for me to not bring a book when I go somewhere.  Often I will show up to a place early simply so I have time to read.  Recently I have been re-reading one of my favorite series.  "The Night Angel Trilogy."  I love this series.  If you haven't read of it and are a fan of the fantasy genre then I highly recommend it.  I have never been so drawn into a book and had such an emotional connection to that characters as I have from this.  I came close to tears at times.  Not kidding, and I haven't cried in over a decade.  So yes, it is a great series and I highly recommend it.
     Anyway, on to the point.  In reading this again a character has really begun to stand out to me.  His name is Logan Gyre.  I have always liked him as a character, but it is in this read that he has really stood out to me.  I know he is only a character in a book, but if ever I have seen someone truly worthy of being called a man, it is him.  He is smart, brave, kind, loving, forgiving, wise beyond his years, a fierce friend and is a natural born leader.  He is respectful to those above him and loved dearly by those who serve him.  His life, which starts as pretty easy (he is from the upper nobility) quickly begins to change.  Growing up things aren't perfect for him though.  The product of a loveless marriage his father is sent away when he is only a child.  The mantel of leadership is thrust upon him when he should only just be learning what it means to be a man, much less a leader.  However, he takes to this position quickly and grows as a leader, a scholar, and a warrior to become the most beloved man in the kingdom.
    Now this is all well and good, but anyone can be an upstanding guy when they have everything handed to them.  It is how they handle having everything taken away that marks them as a man.  I'm gonna try my best to not give anything major away, but Logan's life goes from being great to losing everything in less than 24 hours.  I'm not exaggerating here either.  At the end of that night all Logan has left is his life.  He sinks to the lowest of low.  He doesn't just hit rock bottom, he plows into it face first like a semi truck hitting a building.  However, he doesn't just emerge from the darkness, but he lifts others out of it alongside him.  He learns from the evil he has experienced and grows into a greater man than he was before.  He looks evil in the eye and manages to hold on to who he is deep inside.  On multiple occasions he lifts those around him and exalts them over himself.  It doesn't matter who either.  Killers, prostitutes, people that most would consider monsters, he lifts them up and shows them that they can be redeemed.  He forgives them and makes them all want to be better than they were.  He gives them a hope they thought long gone.
     Anyway, the point is, Logan Gyre is the kind of man this world desperately needs.  Men like that are so incredibly rare.  In our history there have only been a handful of men that could even hold a candle to Logan Gyre, and only one who could stand above.  I think in reading it this time I have seen something.  I have seen the kind of man that I should be.  A lofty goal to be sure, but I know that through the grace of God I can be that man.  In truth I feel it would be wrong of me to be any less than the absolute best man I can be.  So I will lean on Him and seek His guidance as I grow into someone truly worthy of the title Man.  A man worth being.