Ice Cold Camaraderie

We were sitting around a table at the beach rental when Jackson, my friends 13 year old son uttered the words I was hoping not to hear; "I want to get in the water." There was a moment of silence and then guys slowly got up to get prepared for the experience that lay ahead.

Nothing unusual about getting in the water any other time of year,  but this was a freezing February night and snow had begun to fall. This was a polar bear plunge rather than a quick dip in the pool. We rounded up for a quick picture as masculine energy filled the air.

Something was stirring in the hearts of this group of men as we walked the short distance to the water. It's somewhat hard to explain but there was a growing sense of camaraderie.  A growing sense of, "we're doing something crazy - together!" 

At water's edge we stripped down and laid out our towels and clothes for a quick retrieval. Then with yells and shouts reminiscent of a scene from "Braveheart", we ran headlong into the water as the icy cold swallowed our shouts and our bodies. 

It was a quick in and quicker out as we hurried to our towels, clothes and warmth. In our fast paced return to the house, we laughed, shared, and celebrated our experience like a team of men who had won a national championship. We had experienced something significant together. In those quickly passing 15 minutes we had bonded in a way that few men do after their college years. 

Men created in God's image, long for connection and camaraderie with other men. This is what gets men involved with soft ball leagues, running groups, and drinking buddies. An experience of camraderie is a significant part of how God grows men in the "grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)  This is how men grow God shaped lives.

Men will often do together what they wouldn't be motivated to do on their own. That night we saw a glimpse of God's design. We were reminded that we were created for more. More than success, material wealth, and self accomplishment. We were created for God's Glory, for each other, and for Ice Cold Camaraderie.