Elvis Presley’s influence on American men is truly a phenomenon. I realized this when my sister and I visited Graceland a few years ago. We laughingly took the tours, watched the videos and stood in awe gazing at the awards he had received.
Later we discussed just how much our dad, during the 1960’s & 1970’s had sought to look, sound and act just like Elvis. Dad had been driven by what others thought his whole life. The house, cars, wife and daughters were presented in perfect order to anyone who took notice. It all came crashing down when, as I was planning my parent’s twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, he sat me down and told me he was leaving my mom for another woman. That was a point of no return for me. I would never again put up any sort of facade in any area of my life on purpose—authenticity became supreme for me in all my relationships and in all my dealings.
The facade for my dad remained until shortly before his death, when he realized the impact of his actions and his life. However, just like “The King,” he died a very lonely, yet good looking young man. Authenticity is the thing of life, the very thing, that will allow us to feel the delight of the Lord.
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