What I've learned as a parent (part 1)

Becoming a parent has been one of the greatest moments in my life. As Isaiah grows and we spend more time together, I love him more and more. I'm going to admit, though, I didn't feel an instant connection to him the moment he was born. However, our bond grows every moment and this makes parenthood great.

I've learned a lot about myself during these 16 months and know that I have a lot more to learn. To be honest, I still have no clue what to do in some circumstances and don't think I'm ready for everything that is to come. I hope Liz and I can figure it out as we go...

Some of the things that I've learned have helped me become a better coach, husband and man. I want to talk about a few of them over the next few days, so I'll be doing a short blog series entitles "What I've learned as a parent." I hope it gives you insight into my world, but also helps those with or without children see life, sports and God through a different lens. It might also give you a better idea to why I do things the way I do (there is a method to my madness).

We have an unlimited capacity to love

God is love. He created us for relationship (with Him) and gave us the ability to love others. He didn't put a limit on it, though. Think about it, we have an unlimited capacity to love. When Isaiah was born, my love for Liz and my family became stronger and is still growing. I love Liz more than other human being on the planet and Isaiah comes in a close second. When Isaiah was born, I didn't have to divide the love that I already had for Liz and give part of it to her and part to Isaiah. No way, my love for Liz immediately grew and as I witness her connection to Isaiah and see her commitment to our family, it grows even more.

I didn't understand love like I do now. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

I like dissecting this verse on many levels, but the part that sticks out the most is love is not proud. To me, pride means that you love yourself more than anyone else. Don't get me wrong, I love myself and struggle with pride often, but true love is not prideful. It's not about me; it's about others.

Love matters the most.