The Awesomeness of Daddyhood

Most days, being a father feels the same as any other. It doesn't matter if you're a new dad of one or a seasoned dad of more than 4, the special moments seem few and far between the endless amounts of teaching, telling, asking, yelling, refereeing, disciplining, bathing, dressing, diapering, pacifier-hunting, toy-fixing, and everything else we do because we love our children.

And when you add to that, the stress of trying to fill Mom's shoes while she's at the dentist, life can be a bit overwhelming. Tonight was that sort of night, when I added cooking and cleaning to the list. (My wife does much more than that, but I've accepted the fact that she's better than me at some things. At first it was difficult to admit, but after realizing I married a SuperMom who manages a house, 6 different schedules, and the stresses that comes with it, while I simply try to survive it, I had to face reality.)

But today, the overwhelming day ended up being special. After making a pot-luck dinner of 1 left-over chicken quesadilla, 3 pieces of left-over, kid-made pizza, 4 corn dog bites, and 15 pizza bites--all items that fit on the stoneware and can reheat at 350 for 15 minutes while I feed Olivia a bottle-- the boys and I enjoyed our bachelor meal.

And after they had put their dishes away and started coloring, I began setting up Cooper's spelling homework when Nelson all of a sudden interrupted me and said, "Dad, I want to ask Jesus into my heart!" At which point, he realized how vulnerable he just made himself and his tenderness showed and he began to cry.

Women probably don't understand this, but guys usually don't cry when they're hurt, mad, sad, or angry. Sometimes they do, but it usually comes from the act of being vulnerable with another person, not from the emotion itself. But it was an awesome thing to share that moment with my son.

So after they got ready for bed, we said our prayers, and then Nelson and I said the same prayer I prayed with his older brother earlier this year, "Dear Jesus, I know that I do bad things sometimes, and make bad decisions that keeps me from spending forever with you. I believe that you died on the cross for me. Please forgive me for the bad things I have done. Please come into my heart and help me make good decisions and live for you. I love you, Jesus. Amen."

Thank you God, for the reminders of just how awesome being a Daddy is!!