A Father's Day Tribute...Part 1

Several years ago, Nate and I began the conversation of what it might look like for him to be a stay at home Dad when we finally brought home our first little one.  If I am honest, I had my concerns.  For starters, Nate is an extremely gifted teacher.  When I say "extremely gifted," I am not exaggerating.  Nate is the kind of teacher that every parent wants their child to have the opportunity to have.  Choosing to be a stay at home Dad was going to crush a lot of parents hopes and dreams.  I was also concerned about money.  Let's be honest, when you go from living on a teacher's salary and youth pastor's salary to just a youth pastor's salary...that is pretty significant.  Nevertheless, Nate felt strongly that this was what God was calling him to do, and so we did it.  I was also concerned that giving up his teaching profession and moving into a role that traditionally men do not take would somewhat make him feel "less than."  Boy was I ever wrong.

As I have watched Nate over these past 11 months of being a stay at home Dad, I have been blown away by the way that he has embraced his new role.  I never doubted that he wouldn't do a good job, but I also never realized just how much more I would fall in love with him watching him become one.  He is an UNBELIEVABLE DAD.  He has the kind of patience anyone would die for.  He packs a diaper bag like no other.  He teaches Biruk all sorts of things.  He's not afraid of adventure, always willing to do what it takes to create a good memory, and forever trying new things with Biruk.  He love unconditionally...seriously...he loves with this deep kind of love and I know that Biruk can feel it.  He's lives selflessly, always willing to do anything for Biruk and I.  He makes Biruk laugh...all the time, whether it's tickling him like crazy, making funny faces, or just teaching him to love life, they are always laughing together.  He is an incredibly easygoing Dad.  Food fights at the table...no big deal.  Poopy diapers on the beach mixed with all of the sand...piece of cake.  Screaming toddler in the store...doesn't even phase him.

But most of all, I am blown away by is the fact that he is an incredible man of God.  Whether it's praying out loud for us, singing together, reading our family's favorite Bible verses as dinner, challenging us to trust God more, or teaching us to follow God no matter what, his love for God is so evident.  That is what I love about Nate, and that is the trait that I hope Biruk sees first in his Dad.  Happy Father's Day, Nate...know that you example does not go unnoticed and will in fact change the course of one little guy's life.  We love you.  Happy Father's Day!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Donut Story

Image
When I was about five years into being a Youth Pastor, I met a group of kids that changed my life.  Many of you reading this, who know me personally, have probably heard me talk about them numerous times.  Nate and I happened to live in the parsonage next door to the church I was serving at at the time, and would routinely come home to a group of boys that I would have described then as "rough around the edges."   They dressed mostly in black, had long hair, and sometimes even had black painted fingernails.  They loved to smoke, and they loved to skateboard.  After a few days of watching them through our window, Nate and I went outside and brought them some sodas.  We introduced ourselves, told them I was the Youth Pastor at the church, and invited them to come to youth group.  While they politely declined our invitation, we continued to invite them over and over again, attempted to skate with them, and fill them with snacks.  Until one day, ...
Read more

A Mother's Heart...

Image
It was the night before we were ready to leave for Ethiopia that it dawned on me. We hadn’t given the necklace to Biruk yet. When we had exchanged necklaces with his birth mom ten years prior at the orphanage, we had no idea when we would give it to him. We just knew that we wanted him to be old enough to appreciate it, as it would be the only thing he would have from her. We had no idea if we would ever see her again.  There have been several moments in our journey where I’ve had to pinch myself, because it has felt like I was dreaming. That night as we put our final things in our suitcases, took a deep breath, and came to the realization that we were not only taking our kids to Ethiopia, but that Biruk would in fact meet his birth mom…well, you had to pinch me, because it felt like I was dreaming. It also felt like the perfect moment to share this gift that we had been holding onto for 10 years. So we pulled out the necklace and gave it to Biruk. While words can be few and...
Read more

Stories Matter

Image
Yesterday, my family and I found ourselves at a local elementary school’s culture club, presenting about our trip to Ethiopia. Even as I write those words, it kind of blows my mind how God has continued to use our story in unexpected places. When the kids were old enough to understand, we began to talk about taking them back to their birth country when they turned 10. We figured at 10, they would be old enough to be pretty good travelers, but still approach the adventure with a childlike wonder. What we didn’t plan on, was that the year Biruk turned 10 would come on the heels of me taking a brand new job, our family moving to a new state, and buying our very first house, in an economy that felt as though it was tanking!  I remember talking to my counselor one day and sharing with him that while we had always promised this trip to our kids, it just didn’t seem to make financial sense. After all, last time I checked, Southwest Airlines does not travel to Africa. He said someth...
Read more