"This is your time to man up."

I looked him in the eyes and told him the truth.

[I had this conversation with a man recently.  To protect privacy and keep anonymity, I took out details and names of this conversation below.  This is how I ended it] 

I looked him in the eye. 

"This is your time to man up.  To rise up to the occasion. [Person] needs you to be strong right now. 25 years from now, you're going to look back at this moment and wonder, 'Did I do the right thing?'  I know it may be tough to see things past our face right now, and whatever muck we were in the past to get us to this point, we have to remember that it's not too late to do the right thing.  You still have a chance to do the right thing right now.  Because I tell you, 25 years from now, this will still be on your conscience, on whether or not you did the right thing or not.

...We men aren't meant to figure things out on our own.  We need other men, and we need each other.  That's what I'm here for.  Not many people or places in our world will tell you the truth, but I promise you I will always tell you the truth.  The loving truth.  But always the truth.  Here's my number.  Give me a call whenever you need it, OK?  Remember, you're not alone."

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Please pray for this man and this situation.  It's a lot more serious than I portray it, but have forgone the details.  Although the words may be mine, I thank God that His spirit was in the room to make them flow.

At the very least, this was a wake up call for me.  For me to always do the right thing, no matter how small they may be.  How fortunate am I to have loving people surround me, a loving wife, and an opportunity to make the most of my life right now.  May I not take it for granted.  The moment I had this conversation, it was a reminder that I too will look back 25 years from now and look at how I spent my time.  My prayer is that we all keep our eyes on the prize in our daily decisions.  I ask for prayers for me, too.

Amén.