Dad-Mom

While dropping Kaiden off at a friends, she turned to me and said, "Bye Dad-Mom!"

The Apostle Paul said in First Corinthians that he has become all things to all people to help in sharing the gospel. The same can be said for Moms! To Emma I am a sleeping pillow, to Jordan a hugger, to Kaiden a super-duper jump-and-spin high-fiver. And for this season of deployment, to all of them I am a Dad-Mom.

At first, I put off doing the special things that Dad used to do with the girls (eating Oreos, going to the Jump Castle playground, going out for donuts, going to Burger King) but I realized that only made them miss him more. So for the next 2 months, I will continue to be all things to all my girls, including an Oreo eating, Burger King loving Dad.

Now, I am not meaning to equate Mark with Christ, but waiting for Mark's return is similar to our wait for our Savior's return. For my girls, I love them like Daddy does, to help them endure until he comes home. For others, I must love them as Christ does, to give them a taste of the glory to come. Being all things to all my girls (and all things to all people) for the sake of their hearts and the sake of the gospel is no easy task and leaves little time for my own agenda. But the blessing of seeing the joy and peace on my children's faces is worth every moment of service.

I Corinthians 9:19-23
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.