We had a good Father's Day. We went to church, ate ribs afterwards, took naps, and played with the baby. Hubby went running in the late afternoon. I advised him to wait until after 6pm(heat index) but it was what he wanted to do and afterall, it was his day. Now that I have the house to myself, I'm going to brag on him a little, even if it is Monday.
Even though he is not perfect by any means, he is perfect for me. God really knew what he was doing. He is decent, honorable, and hardworking. He serves his country and the people of this state. He could have gone to work somewhere for a lot more money, but he chose not to. He's good at what he does and genuinely loves the people that he works with. He loves the Lord and his family(photos). If you knew half of what I do about what he grew up out of and overcame, you'd be in awe of him as well. Especially when you see him at the table in the mornings drinking his coffee and reading his bible.
Last year on Father's Day my husband was serving in the "great hot sandbox". (photos) It was his first Father's Day and his 2nd deployment. He spent most of his time losing sleep. He never slept more than 4 hours at a time for the whole 7 months he was there. No one wanted to share a room with him for all the knocking on doors. The constant "sir, there's a problem....." tended to cut sleep down to a minimum.
He briefed, he met, he ate foreign food, he socialized, he solved problems, he secured, he promoted, he was always a target, etc etc......a long list of etc. He even stood on a HumV and gave speeches to Iraqi's about not quitting just because they had not yet gotten paid. He believed in what this village was trying to establish. It worked.
If you were to ask him out in public about some of these stories, he would probably play them down. He wouldn't brag about how he got promoted or how he received the highest honor any artillery officer can receive. He wouldn't brag about how ALL his men returned home safely from TWO deployments. He probably wouldn't mention how the spiritual lives of his marines were affected while under his command. He probably WOULD tell you about how doing the Experiencing God study while there in the desert affected him. He probably would tell you how God honored his obedience in many matters.
Recently, on a Friday, my husband received a job offer. He had to give an answer by Monday. It was military related. It was an artillery officer's dream job. It was flattering to be asked. Very Complementary to be considered for such a job as this. He had to turn it down. He could not leave his wife and child again. For no amount of fame or history making, can he leave his civilian job again. He would have to quit in order to volunteer. The job would mean more money. He sounded excited when he called to tell me about it. I asked him if he was tempted. He said he was, but only for a few. I am so thankful!!
Someday he might let me tell you the story of the bibles. Just know that at the end of the chaos those bibles caused, God's plan ruled and there are 100 arabic bibles that were not there before. Will a remote western village be changed? It already has been. Only God knows the end of that long story.
My husband probably worries about being a good father. When his own father died at a very young age, he was sent to live with an aunt and an uncle. At the funeral, with future unknown, a pastor put his hand on a very young man's burdened shoulder and told him, "son, you are embarking on a great adventure, your journey is just beginning". How prophetic were those words!!
As you can tell, I'm a big fan! I respect and love my husband for all that he is and will be. As for my own father? I'm going fishing with him this week, I'll post about that later!!!
Happy Father's Day!!
