John Eldredge - The Way of the Wild Heart Manual: A Personal Map for Your Masculine Journey

THE WAY of
the WILD HEART
MANUAL

CRAIG MCCONNELL
and
JOHN ELDREDGE

Copyright 2006 by John Eldredge

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published by Nelson Impact, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee 37214.

Published in association with Yates & Yates, LLC, Literary Agent, Orange, California.

Scripture quotations noted NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations noted NASB are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE. Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations noted The Message are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations noted KJV are from the KING JAMES VERSION of the Bible.

Scripture quotations noted NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

ISBN 10: 1-4185-1413-6
ISBN 13: 978-1-4185-1413-6

Printed in the United States of America

06 07 08 09 VIC 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

About nine years ago I wanted to learn how to hunt elk, so I began to join a group of guys each fall on their annual trip. Now, you need to understandI was raised in the suburbs. Knew nothing about guns or elk or any of that. These guys had been hunting for years together. I felt like the geek, the hunting idiot. A boy scout among men. But I wanted to learn and I figured if I hung in there with these guys, in a few years I wouldnt be the new guy anymore.

This summer, I needed to figure out how to work on my car. (I didnt learn any of this stuff from my father.) But I dont know anyone who is good at car repair (all my friends just take theirs to the shop), so I bought a car repair manual and Im working my way through it. When my computer breaks down, I ask a buddy whos one of those computer geniuses to give me a hand sorting things out. Its just the way it goeswe all need some help when entering into new territory, someone to show us the way. It makes sense, doesnt it? When youre faced with a frontier, get some help from somebody whos been there.

That is the spirit of the manual you are holding.

This is a companion piece to the book The Way of the Wild Heart. Its like the instruction manual you get with a new power tool, or car, or computer. Or better, its like a set of directions to a secret fishing hole given to you by your uncle, or the old-timer down the street who knows those hills like the back of his hand. We wrote this because we want to help you find your way, to figure things out, and to get the most out of the book, which itself is a map to the masculine journey. A journey worth taking. A journey with many challenges. And many rewards. The essence of The Way of the Wild Heart is that every man needs someone to guide him through the process of masculine initiation, but there are few men who have anyone around to do that for him. So God steps in to take the role of a Father in our lives, and show us the way. This tool is designed to help you walk with your Father through your own journey.

Now, most guys are just going to blow through the book in one reading and assume thats that. But that would be the equivalent of just driving a Ferrari around the parking lot, or of showing up at the fishing hole for one hour in the heat of the day. Not much is going to happen. But youyou are not that man. If youre reading this, you must be taking your life a bit more seriously. Way to go, my brother. You will be very glad you did. This is not a book to rush through. Its a map for the most important mission of your life, your initiation as a man. Using this manual will help you a lot.

I asked my friend and colleague Craig McConnell to work on the manual as I was working on the book itself, and I think hes done a great job. Hes walked with a lot of men over the years, and I think youll find the way he laid this manual out to be a good fit for the book and for the heart of a man. Its almost as if we are both by your side, talking with you about the book and about your life as you read along.

If I could add a couple pieces of counsel, they would be as follows:

Dont Rush. Take your time. Theres a good bit to chew on here, and lots of hidden treasures. Enjoy the journey. Read the chapter in the book first. Then, make your way through the corresponding chapter in this manual. There are no right answers, by the way. This is not a test.

Find a place that works for you. I wrote the book in my garage, sometimes in the barn on my ranch, and, as a last resort, my office at home where at least I can shut the door. I just couldnt write a book like this at the mall. Theres a place where your heart settles down, a place where you are going to be more present to this. Find this place. Maybe its an old favorite chair and a cup of coffee at 5 AM. Maybe its the back porch in the evening. Or a cabin in the woods. Your car during lunch time. Find a spot that works for you, a spot you can return to as your private refuge in which to take this journey.

Be honest. Most men fake their way through most of their life. Fake an intimacy with their wife they dont have. Fake bravado or courage when theyre really afraid. Fake Christianity. That never helps. Theres a life of true masculinity available to you, there really is. Be honest with your work here, and youll find your way.

Hang in there. I cant begin to name the number of guys that get taken out simply through busyness and distraction. But of coursethe enemy doesnt want men entering into this. They will be dangerous men. So heads up, Im warning youthere will be a dozen reasons to bail on this every single week. You know that. Fight for it. You matter. Your journey matters. Everything else in your life depends on it.

Dont walk alone. Maybe in your first pass through this, youll want to do so privately. But Id really urge you to share this process with a few other guys, at least the second time around. Thats how Craig and I did it, and it really helps to have someone to bounce your thoughts off of, press into the hard questions with, and to just be an encouragement along the way. Get a few guys together and do the book and manual as a band of brothers.

Pass it on. As you get into this journey, you are going to realize how many men (and boys) there are around who just dont have a clue what it means to be a man, nor anyone to show them the way. Maybe after you get through the book and manual, youll want to lead some other guys through it, to be a mentor of sorts. It might be one of the most rewarding things you ever do.

Okay. Enough of that. You are poised for an incredible experience, something most men have been waiting for their whole life. Go for it. Jump in.

JOHN ELDREDGE

Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.

JEREMIAH 6:16 NIV

BEFORE STARTING

And so, you have either read or are reading The Way of the Wild Heart