So, what humbles you?
Let me tell you what humbles me.
My Wife.
Malarie, oh sweet Malarie. You're my best friend. My soul-mate. You complete me. You mother our children in the best way and you allow me to be the best Dad that I could ever imagine being.
You bring me comfort in the storms of life. You call me out when I am slacking (far too often). You continue to call me out even when my personality wants to attack the moment I am called out on wrongdoings. That's love folks, true, unadulterated love.
That's humbling.
You make me smile at the silly things that you say or do. To know you is to love you - and I NEVER want to stop getting to know you.
You're the one I want to talk to about my day, good and bad. Unwind after we get the kids put to bed by turning on some background noise on the TV and maybe eating some ice cream. Shh, don't tell anyone 🙂
My Kids.
Adelynn and Emersyn. You two.
Adelynn - You feisty (basically) little girl. I will always call you my little girl for many reasons...
1. I will always be bigger than you.
2. I will always be your Dad.
3. I will always be your first love.
4. You made me a Dad, for that, I am eternally grateful.
You are turning into quite the young lady. You are the first one to throw on some play high heels to go outside and look for worms with me. When mushrooms decide to sprout up in our luscious lawn, we go out and swing golf clubs at them until they disappear.
There is no anger inside of you, stay that way for as long as you can girl. You are the fist one to share whatever it is that you have in your possession. Or those moments when you and your little sister connect and both of you start laughing hysterically.
I could go on and on. So I will.
Emersyn. You sweet, sweet little Emersyn.
You steal little bits of my heart, more and more - Every. Single. Day. I gotta be real with you though, this is not how I felt towards you day one.
In the beginning I was scared, confused, upset, nervous, jealous. All sorts of emotions.
It was a totally different experience than what I had with your sister, and looking back, it wasn't fair for me to act like that towards you.
As the months have passed, you have stolen my hardened heart right from me and turned it into a fountain of love and admiration of your true inner and outer beauty. You are so stinking cute.
And I know, I know, every parent thinks their kids are the cutest, but my kids are cuter than yours, sorry not sorry.
When I think of you now, I think about the opportunity I get as a Dad to do all of the things that we've done with your sister - with you.
Help you learn how to walk, let you come outside with me and your sister to work in the yard. Get so excited and giddy inside when I pull in the drive way after work - knowing you and your sister will be there to greet me at the top of the stairs!
That's humbling.
My Parents.
Dennis and Ari. Y'all raised me up in the way I should go. Can't imaging turning out any better than I did.
I am kidding people - about the second part, not the first. You two laid the groundwork for the firm foundation I have in my Faith. The groundwork that allows me to have a firm belief if the Lord Jesus Christ.
Y'all laid the ground work for me to be the best Husband and Father I could be. I fall short, everyone does, but I wouldn't be half the man I am without you.
When I am struggling with something, I call my mom. When I need to talk about something dealing with my job, or a Wisdom seeking things, I console my dad.
I look forward to my meetings with my Dad at IHOP to just chat about life and what is going on that week with our lives.
I look forward to my lunches with Mom to do the same, but mostly just talk about her grandchildren and how cute they are and what different things they're doing that week!
Seeing my Mom and Dad interact with my childred...
That's humbling.
My God.
Y'all, if the resurrection doesn't get you excited/make you wanna cry - this ain't the blog for you.
I serve a God who's mercy's are new every morning. Everyday I receive God's mercy's as He ALLOWS me to wake up healthy again, I praise Him.
I look around and can't help but be grateful for the life God has blessed me with. He truly has taken care of me in so many ways.
That's humbling.
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
James 4:6
Thanks for reading,
Strahl.