Today was a full day in Greece. Preaching, big Greek lunch, exploring the Roman Forum and St. Demetrius Greek Orthodox Church, orientation at the A21 Campaign offices, and a team viewing of the film Human Trafficking.

But the highlight of the day…or lowlight…honestly not sure how to react to it…was the moment that the lead pastor at Philadelphia Church asked me if Maegan Stout was my daughter. Yes, that happened. It was so, so funny. Granted, Maegan is a good 10 years younger than me and looks about 10 years younger than she actually is. So I don’t guess it was much outside the realm of reason.

It’s especially funny in light of a conversation that Maegan and I had a few weeks ago. There is a handful of girls that I intentionally invest in, and Maegan is the oldest in age (slightly) and the one I’ve been investing in the longest. So she commented the other day, “I feel like the oldest child.” I course-corrected to say that I viewed it more as a big sister kinda thing and informed her that if she ever referred to our relationship in that way again she would get a butt kicking.

The truth of the matter, however, is that discipleship really is about parenthood. When I think about what my parents did well, I can create quite a list. Just a few– they saw potential in me, they encouraged me, they asked me good questions, they gave me great experiences, they created memories, they gave me guidance, they managed well the tension of being 100% for me while still challenging me to be a better version of myself, they encouraged me to seek out answers in the Bible for myself and not rely on what someone taught me just because they were in a position of authority, they gave me a role model to imitate while simultaneously giving me room to become my own person. And they taught me about Southern food, art, and baseball. Yep, that pretty much sums up my relationship with Maegan.

While I still prefer to think of myself in the big sister or crazy cousin role with Maegan, there is an element of parenting in all discipleship. Who are you parenting spiritually? And for all of you who came to read this blog because you were expecting a different announcement…sorry…no little Zempels on the horizon yet.

Heather and Maegan heading to Greece