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A March Message of Faith, Hope and Patriotism from U.S. Navy Chaplain Lt. Zack Parker

By  //  March 1, 2026

Mother and Son Share Special Bond

Zachary C. Parker is a native of Merritt Island and attended Tropical Elementary, Jefferson Middle School, and is a 2008 graduate of Merritt Island High School. He enlisted as a Master-at-Arms in the Navy Reserves in February 2013. Parker was commissioned as an Ensign, Chaplain Candidate Program Officer, and completed various Chaplain Corps training evolutions from 2015 to 2020. He served in civilian ministry roles, including as the operations manager at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA, and as the senior pastor of King Street Baptist Church in Cocoa.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – It all started on March 6, 1990. My mom was nine months pregnant and ready to welcome me into the world. So she and my dad headed to the hospital where she made what can only be described as a bold negotiation attempt with the doctor: “Tomorrow is my birthday and I’d really prefer to have my son today.” Honestly, a reasonable request. The doctor smiled and said, “Why don’t you come back tomorrow?”

And so, on March 7th, I was born on my mom’s birthday. We then commenced a lifetime of shared cake and collaborative parties.

Growing up, even as a single mom, she made birthdays feel like major holidays. We celebrated all over the Space Coast from Jungle Village in Cape Canaveral to paintball in Mims, the kind of parties that made you think we had a much larger budget than we actually did.

As I got older, birthdays evolved into Orlando trips with friends to theme parks and hotel stays. She always made it the best time ever. Almost every year, we have concluded our shared special day with hibachi at Tokyo by the Cocoa Beach Pier. Because nothing says “happy birthday” like a guy launching shrimp at your face while setting onions on fire.

Amidst all these wonderful memories, two birthdays stand out above the rest.

In 2011, I turned 21 and my mom turned 50! We both knew this wasn’t just a birthday, it was a milestone. So naturally, we chose skydiving and tattoos. Because nothing says “happy birthday” like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane and getting permanent ink on your body.

Mother and son are shown prior to skydiving together in 2011! Barbie Thrower (left) and Zack Parker (right). Parker is a Merritt Island native who attended Tropical Elementary, Jefferson Middle School, and graduated from Merritt Island High School in 2008. He currently serves as an active-duty U.S. Navy Chaplain at the Washington Navy Yard, advising senior leaders on readiness, resilience, and ethical leadership.

We drove to Titusville, got suited up, sat through the training video and met our tandem instructors. My grandparents and sister came to watch offering encouragement, moral support, and what I can only assume was quiet concern for the freshly minted 50-year-old about to free fall over the Space Coast.

And then we did it. We jumped.

I’ll never forget the look on my mom’s face when she landed. It was a mix of shock, adrenaline, and “I cannot believe this”, which I imagine was very similar to her expression when the doctor told her she’d have to give birth on her birthday.

Barbie Thrower (left) and Zack Parker (right). Parker is a Merritt Island native who attended Tropical Elementary, Jefferson Middle School, and graduated from Merritt Island High School in 2008. He currently serves as an active-duty U.S. Navy Chaplain at the Washington Navy Yard, advising senior leaders on readiness, resilience, and ethical leadership.

After that, we went down the street to get tattoos. Once you’ve jumped out of an airplane, your decision-making skills are clearly at their peak. And in true family fashion, my sister and grandma looked around, shrugged, and said, “Why not?” They both joined us in the birthday festivities by getting tatted up too.

Just two years later, I was turning 23 and the unthinkable happened. We were going to break our streak of celebrating our birthdays together. She protested, plotted, and attempted to once again persuade. But, was gently told that it just wasn’t going to happen. The reason? I was at Naval Station Great Lakes for boot camp. Because nothing says “happy birthday” like being stuck with 80 Naval recruits from all over the nation getting screamed at 24/7.

About a week out from our birthday, with limited phone calls, but ability to send letters, I came up with a simple idea. I’d make a birthday card and have all the recruits in my division sign it and write down their hometown. It’s the least I could do for the lady who gave me the best birthday parties while sacrificing her own.

So, I went to each of my shipmates and respectfully asked them to sign a birthday card for my mom. One by one, I was moved by the positive response from each of them. It was special to see how excited they were to support. Interestingly, this was the first time I saw most of them even crack a smile. We missed that birthday in-person, but we celebrated in spirit.

Fast forward to this year: she’s turning 29 again, and I’ll be 36. She is flying up to D.C. to celebrate with me and my family. And now, as a parent myself, I see it more clearly than ever: God has been writing our story from the very beginning.

From a failed hospital room negotiation. To free falling over the Space Coast. To handwritten notes from Division 139 at Navy boot camp. Because nothing says “God’s love” like a son sharing his mother’s birthday, blessed with a life covered in grace, anchored in faith, and thankful for far beyond what we ever could have planned.

God is writing your story too. Through moments you celebrated and moments you barely survived. Through doors that opened wide and others that closed without warning. Through detours that felt like delays, but were actually redirection.

When I look back now, it’s hard not to see the thread running through it all. A lifetime of shared birthdays, somehow always filled with more joy than our circumstances should have allowed. At the time, those moments just felt like life. But now? They feel like fingerprints.

God continues to faithfully and steadily author a story better than all of us could have planned. I pray all of us, “Trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, and lean not in our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge Him and He will make our paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

Happy birthday, mom. Love you xoxo

P.S. Currently looking for hibachi places in our Nation’s Capital!

Page 1 of 3 – Because they missed sharing time together celebrating their shared birthday, Zack Parker had a birthday card made and asked all the recruits in his Naval division to sign it and write down their hometown.
Page 2 of 3 – Because they missed sharing time together celebrating their shared birthday, Zack Parker had a birthday card made and asked all the recruits in his Naval division to sign it and write down their hometown.
Page 3 of 3 – Because they missed sharing time together celebrating their shared birthday, Zack Parker had a birthday card made and asked all the recruits in his Naval division to sign it and write down their hometown.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Zachary Parker is a Merritt Island native who attended Tropical Elementary, Jefferson Middle School, and graduated from Merritt Island High School in 2008. He currently serves as an active-duty U.S. Navy Chaplain at the Washington Navy Yard, advising senior leaders on readiness, resilience, and ethical leadership. With more than 15 years of experience across military, nonprofit, and faith-based sectors, he also serves as an adjunct professor teaching graduate-level courses in moral leadership and professional chaplaincy. Parker holds a Doctorate in Educational Ministry and has been nationally recognized for Navy-wide initiatives impacting Sailors and their families.