Of all the titles I have the ones that mean the most to me cost the least, and I really didn’t do anything to deserve them.
On the day my son was born I remember feeling embarrassed whenever someone called me “dad.” I didn’t feel like I deserved the title; I hadn’t changed a single poopy diaper, I hadn’t lost any sleep, and I hadn’t made any financial sacrifices. But I was still a dad.
I had a similar experience when I was Baptized, Confirmed, and received First Communion at the Easter Vigil years ago. I remember being lightheaded because I was overwhelmed by the feeling of God’s love and humbled by being forgiven when I knew I had done nothing for God . . . when I knew I had done so much against God. But I was still a child of God.
In contrast, the day I received my Bachelor’s degree, I remember feeling underwhelmed. As I stood in line waiting for my name to be called, I felt guilty because I wasn’t more excited, and I wondered if the other graduates were feeling the same way. I spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours working for that title, but I almost never think about it, I have no idea where my diploma is, and that title is no where near as important as “dad.”
As I sat at the Easter mass with my beautiful family, I kept thanking God for giving me all these people. And with each relationship comes a title that God blessed me with before I did anything to deserve them. I am a child of God, a husband, a dad, a son, a brother, and a youth minister.
