Logistics Specialist 1st Class Reagan Pescoso and his wife are investment experts. I have no idea how much money they have in the bank, but they invest where it counts—in their family. Asked about parenting in the military, Pescoso said, “The hardest part about being in the military is spending time away from my family.” When he is home from sea, he and his family cherish their time together. They invest time, energy, and resources in enjoying travel, playing board games, and finding interesting new places to eat together. The fulfillment and joy he finds in his family helps him cope when he is away. Twelve-year-old Lance Pescoso is proud of his dad’s Navy service. He said, “I think it’s cool he gets to go around the world helping people and supporting his country.”

Pescoso and his wife are making deposits in their family. “I hope my kids learn that their father did something big for our family by being in the military,” Pescoso said. “I hope they learn to be better people because of it. I hope they learn from me how to be strong, patient, and value the importance of time with family.”

Dare we call Noah’s family the first Navy family? As Noah prepared to embark on his voyage, he made an investment in time and resources. Genesis 6:22 says, “Noah did …” The words emphasize Noah’s obedience to God’s instructions—he did what God told him to do. Scripture is silent about the effort and investment of such an undertaking. Think of the time and energy it took to cut the trees, deliver the trees, form the trees into planks, fit the planks, and then shape the planks into the ark. The monetary investment would have been enormous to provide food for the many animals they would carry. Noah willingly made the investments, his family gathered everything they needed, and “the Lord shut [them] in” (Genesis 7:16).

God takes account of the investment you make in your family. Using God’s Word as the blueprint for building a strong family will give you the confidence to know you are making a wise investment that leads to the saving of your family.