My Dad Is Proud of Me!

After I left The LOT Project in 2020, I was a little bit lost. I had thought I would never leave, and when I did, it hurt. I left everyone that I loved and gave up on my dream. It was brutal.

I knew from prior experience that if I kept my eyes open, I would see the next opportunity that lit my bones on fire. Let's be honest: it took longer than I expected. And I couldn’t have done it on my own.

I was a year and a half into not working. I was living in South Africa and the new experiences were amazing and kept me busy. However, there was a voice in the back of my head that was giving me shit for not working. I kept reminding myself to take full advantage of this experience, and for the most part, I did. Then my parents ended up coming to visit my wife and me in South Africa.

Anja and I didn't have the money to take my parents on an all-out vacation through South Africa. So they picked up the tab! We had a blast and did everything from hearing a lion roar at a game drive to going on the highest zipline in South Africa, and ate some of the best food and wine you can dream of. This trip was the opportunity of a lifetime, and I got to do it with my parents for free.

Now, there was still that voice in the back of my head talking about me not working and my parents paying, but this changed at the end of the trip. As they were preparing to get on the plane and head back to the States, my dad, who has lost his voice due to Parkinson's, gave me a giant hug and said: “I love you. I am proud of you.”

This was not the first time I heard either of these affirmations. I have amazing parents who have always told me these things. However, it was the first time I heard it when I felt like I didn’t have anything to give; that the only thing I had to give was me, and that it was enough.

This is the very heart of God. Your presence is a gift to Him!