Father's Day: Written by My Husband

This post is something I've never done before. It is written by my husband as he just recently became a father.

   I was initially supposed to have this written before I was a father.  But things have changed and our son arrived a week early, just in time for me to have my first Father's day.  

   A Father's job is to provide, protect, support, encourage, discipline, push, fix, lead, teach, and love.  I didn't always know this was the case.  The more my faith grew, the more I understood what a father was.  It's one thing to understand, and another to experience.  

   I look at my newborn son and I am overwhelmed with emotion and a weight of responsibility.  I have been made a steward of this spirit transmuted from my and my wife's flesh.  All I want is for my son to be healthy, happy, and to learn to love the Lord.  Can I do this?  Can I be the bad guy when it's justified?  Can I make the hard choices?  Can I do it all?

   Luckily God has provided earthly examples for me.  And ultimately provided Himself as the perfect example.  God was there for me through it all.  He feverishly pursued me with ferocious and unconditional love.  When I pushed Him away, He was never more than an arms length away.  When I disobeyed, He crushed me and built me back up in the same stroke.  

   He was patience through my stubbornness.  He ran to embrace me when I turned back to Him.  He is never afraid to do for me what is needed.  He only ever continues to mold me into who I was born to be.  He truly knows me.

   If I could just scratch the surface of that, it would be enough for my son.  And ultimately  if I can just be enough of a light to steer him to his true Father, then I will have peace.  

   So happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there who try to carry the world for their families.  If they are too stubborn to let God spot them or carry the burden, at least give them the day off to rest their shoulders.  Let them know how much you respect their work ethic. Let them know that you see them.  And stroke their ego just a bit and tell them that they can do it all, but that doesn't mean they should.  

Hard Work Vs. Hustle

    As we prepare for the new addition to our family a lot has happened. I've had lots of different symptoms. One major one is fatigue. It happened a lot in the first trimester and now it's happening again. Either that, or I'm just working myself too hard.

   What I mean is our last month was very busy. It was filled with events with family and friends, with appointments, and other general times of being busy. There were weeks I felt like I didn't get any rest. To top it off, we are also preparing our home for the baby. I've been working on building items for the baby and figuring out what else we need.

   After a month of all this I was exhausted and becoming overwhelmed. There were times I felt like I was doing it all on my own. At times I felt like no matter how much I got done it was never enough because the list keeps growing. The list still isn't done and I just keep adding things. I became discouraged and emotional because I felt tired and like no matter what I did it wasn't good enough.

   Then, one night after working most of the day, I went to JA to serve at our church. I was quiet on the ride there because I was tired and overwhelmed. My husband asked me if I was okay. I began to tear up as I said, "it's just so much work." Then I pulled myself together and ran the sound system at church for JA. 

   After JA was over, my husband went out with friends. I went to the grocery store. When I got home I put the items away and went to read a book I had just begun. God must have known what I needed because the chapter I read in the book talked about who we are doing things for. It talked about hard work vs hustle. Hustle means you get things done and stay busy. So busy that you wear yourself thin. I felt like that's where I was at. Hard work means you give your best in each thing you do. Remember the verse that says "work as if you were working for the Lord and not man (Colossians 3:23 paraphrased)?" That's what hard work is. 

   I knew this but I had forgotten. I think we have a tendency to do that. We know the answers to the Christian questions but forget or don't apply them the right way to our lives. At that moment, after reading, I felt peace. I was reminded that I wasn't doing any of this work for my husband, me, or even our baby. I was doing all of it for God. He sees the work I do each day and, as long as I do my best, he is proud. Everything that needs to get done for the baby to come will get done. I don't have to hustle. I need to work hard but remember to slow down and rest in his presence each day. That's how we become filled again. We become full by spending time with God. He gives us what we need.

   So are you more of a hustler or a hard worker? How can you spend time with God each day?

Pop That Bubble

   You know what is a really fun sensory toy and experience? Bubble wrap (not the kind you can't pop). It is something you can push on to pop or just push with enough pressure to make the bubble move back and forth. I'm not just saying that because I work with children. I'm saying it can be a great fidget or sensory experience for everyone. 

   When you think of bubble wrap, you may not think of the sensory experience. Perhaps you think more practically. You think of how bubble wrap is used in packaging things to keep them safe. It's true that keeping things safe is the main function of bubble wrap. But what would happen if we all walked around with bubble wrap on? That's a strange picture, right? But I think some of us already do that.

   I'm not talking literally here, otherwise those people would get strange looks. But figuratively some people have their comfort zone/safety area of bubble wrap on. We crave comfort and ease. We take the path of least resistance and do only what we need to do each day. I'm not saying that's a bad thing to do sometimes; but we are also called to do more. We are called to step up to who God has called us to be. We are called to step out of our comfort zones and help others.

   I mean, look at the people in the Bible. How many of them were called to go outside their comfort zones? I'd say most of them were. And, if they wouldn't have gone outside their comfort zones, they wouldn't have made a difference in the kingdom of God. They may not have even been in the Bible! They for sure would not have grown in God and had an amazing testimony for us to look up to.

   While bubble wrap, I mean comfort zones, is nice and safe we need to heed God's call when it comes. When God tells us to build a boat, even though people think we are crazy, we do it. When God calls us to go to the king to save our people, even though the king could kill us, we do it. When God calls us to lay down our lives for others, whether literally or in service, we do it. We do it because God has a plan for each of our lives. He is a good father who cares for us and loves us. He wants us to grow in him. One major way we do that is by trusting him and stepping out of the bubble wrap when he asks us to.

   So, are you in an area of bubble wrap that God is calling you to step out of? How can you share the good news of the Gospel with others today?