Whole Chicken Dinner Dream

Ever since I held my niece for the first time when I was about 12 years old I knew I wanted to be a dad. There was just something about babies and kids that I loved. My niece grew up in our home and I loved being her uncle and babysitter. I always dreamed about having a large family of my own, like 10 kids. That's why when I met my now wife and told her I wanted 10 kids and she didn't run from me, I knew she was a keeper. We didn't have ten, we had three... so far. I haven't been the picture perfect dad, that's for sure, but I haven't been the worst dad either. But I want to be a better dad. So let me tell you about the Whole Chicken Dream I just had...
It's 5am and I am going to try and remember as many details as I can. I remember I was working in a restaurant and I was getting off. The grill guy had already shut all the grills down when I came back looking for some food, but hanging there on a line (for some weird reason) were cooked chickens. Well, I love me some chicken! So I said, "Don't worry about firing up the grill for me, just give me one of those chickens!" And so he did. I remember trying to fold a box to put it in and really struggling to get it together. Then, out of nowhere, BOOM! in come barreling my three crazy kids chasing one another.

Now, my kids are all very helpful, so they see dad struggling and want to help, so they start pulling and tugging at me to help. Trying to be an interactive dad, I place the folding box on the ground, place the chicken in the center of the box, and begin to explain that we must fold the box. But before I can get the instructions out, my children are fighting over who is going to fold the box. Next thing I know there is sand all over the floor and in their fighting, they are kicking sand all over the chicken! Before I know it, the chicken is covered in dirt, my dinner is ruined, and I explode in anger! I shout in a loud voice "look what you guys have done now!" and everyone scatters. Another female adult comes out from behind a desk and starts to discipline my children.

I look at the chicken covered in dirt, then I look at the tears rolling down my children's faces and the weight of what has transpired hits me, and it breaks me.

I call my three children over to me. They come reluctantly. I bend down, placing the youngest, Declan, on my knee while the two olders stand by my side and I look at them each in the eye and say to them; "I love you more than that chicken". Right after I say it to my oldest, George V, I wake up and look at the clock and it's 4:30am and I'm glad the nightmare is over.

I know it's been a long time since I have written on this blog. The truth is because I haven't been able to see what God has been trying to communicate to me through my being a father to my children. I have been the "mad chicken dad". I want to start being the "I Love You More Than...." dad. That's the way God loves us. He loves us beyond our mistakes. He loves us enough to let us try and fail, sometimes fail miserably! But He is always right there for us to jump up into His lap and be loved on.