Dirty Little Secret

Good Saturday morning! It’s the weekend and I thought I’d send a quick moment with you all before breakfast.

Just when I think all the hub-bub about The Single Dad Detour is over. Just when I’ve resigned myself to embracing that it will be shelved and forgotten amidst the myriad of other dusty, countless books, suddenly I hear how God is using it to minister to a dad here or there.

I’ve been feeling so grateful lately for the opportunities God is providing to reach out to single dads and offer encouragement. This week I met with two different men to hear their stories and lend a shoulder. If only I had that opportunity years ago, during my own journey as a single father. I wonder how many other dads are out there without anyone to bounce things off, without a friend to listen or even offer help with the kids from time to time?
Can I share a dirty little secret? To be frank, I’m not naturally compassionate. My wife will be the first to say, when I display compassion it’s a total God thing. It pretty much has to be a move of the Holy Spirit in my heart.

Like I mentioned in The Single Dad Detour, I did not want to write a book about my painful journey through divorce and single parenting. I compared it to digging through nasty cat litter to find someone else’s car keys.

It’s pretty safe to say the entire book was a work of the Holy Spirit moving in me. When I finally began to write it, I was moved with compassion and love for my fellow brothers on that road. And God continues to stir that up in me, in order to help guys struggling to find direction and hope. Thanks to Christ’s power in me (changing me day-by-day into his image) and some awesome Stephen Ministry training, it’s become more natural for me to come alongside men and feel their pain.

I’m humbled to be a part of what the Creator is doing and I’m grateful for each of you who even bother to read these posts. I don’t hear from most of you, but I can see I have readers around the world and that is hard to wrap my head around. I often feel I don’t have a thing to offer. I guess I just want to say I appreciate you.

Now, I must go and figure out how to convince my wife that crepes are on the menu for breakfast today. Have a blessed weekend.