Caleb was concerned today. He said to me, “Daddy, I need to stop growing.” Obviously, I found this most interesting. What kid sees a need to stop growing? Most kids can’t wait to grow, they think it’s great. I had to ask him why. With dread and concern on his face he answered, “If I keep growing, I won’t be able to fit in the house!” I laughed. He was completely serious. I told him his body would take a break from growing. I told him not to worry about out-growing his house, at least not for now. He was relieved.

Fatherhood!!!!????!!!!!!

Sunday my wife gave birth to our third child, Grace Esther Wood. I'm smitten.

Fatherhood: I love it. It's tough. But really I love it. One was a joyride. Everything was a high, everything was new, it was thrilling. Two was a wake up call. It was like, "WHAT WERE WE THINKING!!!!!!". Now for number three. We had our wake up call, now bring the pain. But also, bring the joy, the love, the fun, the chaos, and the challenge of being outmanned in a tiny little townhouse.

I recently read an article in Newsweek about a father suffering from post-pardom depression, for dads. He was relieved there was an excuse for self-loathing that his life was over. No freedoms, he was a slave to a screaming little being called his son. In the end, he divorced his wife, but came to grips with his responsibility to be a responsible dad.

I can relate with that. My freedoms have been restricted. No more spontaneous visits to my favorite mountain bike trails. No more weekend fishing trips. No careless spending. But, why have my freedoms been restricted. I've given them up willfully for something greater, something superior. I'm investing my life in someone else.

This is where I separate from post-pardom dad. At one point he wanted to trade the opportunity to love and nurture his son for all the simple freedoms of being an adult. Being a father is one of the greatest responsibilities and joys of life. Is it difficult, absolutely. The most beautiful part of the difficulty is having no choice but to totally submit to God. There is no better way to live life, dependent on God and serving others. Fatherhood is servanthood. If my goal as a father is to bring my family closer to God, it starts with serving them. If we, as dads live this, imagine what our families could do for God?