My Dad's the man

My Dad is the man...he's the man you want-on your team, as your teacher, on your side, in your family, and as part of your life. 

When my Dad's on your team, you're almost guaranteed to win.  Seriously.  If it's sports (basketball in particular), he'll work harder than anyone else out there, and in his early 60s he's still going strong.  He has several medals and trophies to prove it.  From church basketball leagues to the Senior World Games (formerly called the Senior Olympics), he's played against and with men of all ages and manages to keep up with them.  My family had the privilege of watching him play, and win a bronze medal, along with his team in the Senior World Games at Stanford University a few years ago.  Those poor college kids who volunteered to ref and keep score had no clue what they were getting themselves into!  This wasn't a bunch of geezers with walkers and canes hoping to relive a smidgen of their youths.  These were inspirational seniors-in some sports categories people were competing in their 90s-who continue to live active lifestyles and get a kick out of the competition.  If it's a board game you're playing, you definitely want my Dad on your team.  Because if he doesn't know the answer, he'll take a stab in the dark AND GET IT RIGHT.  It's ridiculous, and I'm not sure how he does it, but he somehow has all that useless (unless you're playing Trivial Pursuit) information floating around in his head and can pull it out at exactly the right moment.  You also want him on your team when you're playing cards.  He'll start the game not remembering how to play and by the end he's whipped you.  It's awful and amazing all at the same time.

When my Dad is your teacher, he has seemingly endless patience and is able to explain, slowly, clearly and concisely, what you need to know.  He was a teacher in his former life and I can only imagine how much his students loved being in his class.  He has this uncanny ability to instill confidence in you without saying a word, and allows you to practice your new skills and knowledge out without making you feel pressured or insecure.  I'm pretty sure he can teach just about anyone how to drive (just ask my friend Sarah Johnston!)  For now he's a Sunday school teacher, but I hope he gets the opportunity to teach and/or coach as a profession again someday. 

You want my Dad on your side.  He's no fair-weather fan, and once he's started cheering for you he'll never stop.  If only the Spurs knew how faithful he's been, even before they were in the NBA and were an ABA team.  He may get frustrated or angry, feel let-down or hurt, but he will never, ever give up on you.  He'll turn right around and encourage you to pick yourself up and go after it once more.  Just ask all the televisions my parents have owned over the years! The stories they could tell about him and ESPN.

I'm not sure all my Dad's family members realize what they have in him, but I hope they do.  He loves deeply and unconditionally, prays fervently, and cares much more than most people probably realize.  He's a fairly quiet man, but as my Mom says, "Still waters run deep."  This is no more true of anyone than him.  It takes a lot for him to show emotion, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel it.  Even though I'm now a parent myself, I'm pretty sure he loves me more than I'll ever truly know.

No matter what role he plays, you want my Dad as part of your life.  He's funny.  Quick-witted.  Caring.  Godly.  Honest.  Patient.  Kind.  He knows more about the Bible than most people, yet he continues to study it because he wants to know more; to know God more.  My Dad is slow to anger-a trait I definitely (and unfortunately) did not inherit from him.  He works hard-and I mean hard-to do his job well.  He goes out of his way to please his employer and his customers, as well as everyone else in his life.  He's giving to a fault.  Above all else, my Dad is that person-the one that people want to know.  Even if they don't realize it because he's not outgoing enough for them to see it.  It's like he's (*humbly*-ahem) teaching his 5 grandsons to say, "Pepaw is the best!"

Things I learned this weekend

This weekend we hosted friends we met during our first Air Force assignment in Dover, Delaware.  When we met them, we were at a stage in life where we were first married, without children, and able to spend lots of time together relatively uninhibited, which allowed us to form bonds that seem much harder to replicate at this point in our lives.  The women of this group are referred to by one of our moms as "the fab 5."  We completely agree and have adopted this nickname for ourselves.  Each year we do our best to have some sort of reunion with as many of us as possible, kids included when we can.  This year God has done some amazing things in our lives-especially the lives of one of the families in particular-and we had to get together and celebrate!  I realized as the weekend was coming to a close that I had learned some new things and was reminded of things I've known for awhile.  Here are some of them:

When you are with friends as amazing as these, funny things are funnier, food tastes better, and burdens are lighter.  I learned that Betty Crocker's gluten-free cupcakes are actually quite tasty, as is Domino's Pizza's gluten-free crust.  It's still really fun to wear matching pajamas, even in your 30s (and even if they are 3 sizes too big)!  A mother's love can transcend anything, and can come upon someone in the blink of an eye.  I realized I love and miss not just these ladies, but their families too.  I realized I see myself as more beautiful when I'm with them because I see myself in them, as they see me, as their close friend-and if they're so beautiful, I must be as well because I'm part of them.  I was reminded of how much you can love someone who isn't part of your flesh and blood family. 

More than anything, though, I was reminded of God's sovereignty and perfect timing.  He ordained our 5 families being stationed at the same time in Dover, Delaware.  He could have put us anywhere, but we were at a small base where our lives were bound to overlap.  Our husbands were all assigned to fly the same plane.  The wives were all in the same Bible study group.  We didn't have to get babysitters and fight traffic to hang out.  Four of the families lived on base, the fifth just a few miles away.  We watched out for one another, helped out when husbands were TDY and yards needed mowing or sidewalks needed to be shoveled, fed lonely spouses and took care of one anothers' pets.  These relationships were founded in our common relationships with the Lord, and we continued to cultivate them after we had moved to new bases, our husbands doing different jobs, most of us starting families and generally getting busier lives.  After 8 long years of all of us praying for one family in particular, God blessed them with a precious baby girl.  Because the rest of us have been anxiously awaiting the chance to shower them with gifts, there was no way we could pass up the opportunity to quickly plan a reunion.  God made it such that all 5 of our schedules aligned so we could be together just a week and a half before Christmas-what are the odds?!?-and meet their precious daughter.  Along with showering TJ and Michelle with gifts for their beautiful new baby Ruth, we had the opportunity to give Molly gifts for her fourth child-a girl!  After her three amazing sons, we were so excited to inundate her with pink! We also got to meet Devon's 4-month-old son, Henry, who is the sweetest little thing.  Sarah got to appreciate the fact that she doesn't have a new baby or one on the way.  And I got to heal some more after our losing a baby 19 weeks into my pregnancy just a few months ago. 

On top of all this, our 5-year-old son Charlie was able to see the fruition of his prayers and the tangible answer from God.  You see, just about 3 months ago, my 2 sons and I drove to New Jersey to visit Michelle while both our husbands were TDY.  It was such a sweet time of reunion for Michelle and me, and a chance for the boys (Charlie especially) to fall in love with Michelle the way anyone does when they meet her.  After that week, we started including Charlie in our fervent prayers that God would bless TJ and Michelle with a baby.  Within a month, they were asking us to pray that a particular birth mom would choose them to raise her child.  Within weeks of that call, they were taking that child home from the hospital.  And this weekend, Charlie got to hold that baby in his arms, and feel the presence of God's love and faithfulness.  I am so thankful for how God's plans and timing work out, and that in one single moment prayers can be answered, hopes can be fulfilled, dreams can be realized, hurts can start to heal, and children can realize the reality of His presence in their lives and the lives of others.  My husband told me after everyone had left for their separate corners of the country that at one point during the weekend Charlie said he had a secret.  He whispered to his daddy, "Every time I see Ruth I can't stop smiling."  I feel exactly the same way.

Military spouses are often considered “warriors on the homefront” or something along those lines.  I suppose it’s true-while our spouses are out fighting our country’s wars, we are at home fighting life’s battles.  Maintain the household: make sure bills are paid on time, clean the house, raise the kids; and oftentimes hold down (another) full-time job on top of all that. This is usually in a place foreign to us-whether it’s on the opposite side of the country or around the world from where we grew up, which means we don’t often have family nearby for moral support (or babysitting).  We move every few years so we learn to adapt to new surroundings, try our hardest to make new friends as quickly as possible, and rely on technology to keep us in touch with loved ones who are far away.  In this regard I’m most definitely a reluctant warrior.  I vowed I’d never marry someone in the military (never say never!) and I certainly never wish for my husband to have to leave us for any length of time, thereby making me a “homefront warrior.”

The other part of who I am the makes me a “warrior” is the fact that I’m a Bible-believing, born again Christian.  I accepted Christ into my life as my Savior at the age of 8.  I am so fortunate to have been raised by amazing, loving, Godly parents, and influenced by many other strong Christians, such as my mom’s mom (my Granny).  Ephesians 6 tells Christians to “put on the full armor of God” and how to do that.  It says that we aren’t fighting against mankind (flesh and blood) but against Satan.  While I am in no way reluctant about my faith in Christ or to admit I need Him to be saved from my sins, I confess I am sometimes reluctant to endure the pain of this life, to share the Good News with the lost, and to bear the cross of Christ.  However, it is my sincere prayer that I AM able to endure life’s hurts so that others may see the work of the Holy Spirit in me-His ability to bring joy in times of sorrow and peace in times of pain or fear; that I am willing and able to share IN LOVE the message of salvation to those who are lost, despite the cost to myself or my relationship with those people; and that I will bear the cross of Christ, no matter how heavy it may seem.  Because the Lord has promised that His “yoke is easy” and His “burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). I need simply to trade mine for His.