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STRENGTH FOR TODAY – A Message of Encouragement and Strength for Everyday Life from U.S. Navy Chaplain Lt. Zack Parker

By  //  June 7, 2026

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM WASHINGTON D.C. TO THE SPACE COAST

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 – Summer can often arrive with high expectations. I still remember my last day of eighth grade at Jefferson Middle School. The teacher rolled out a boombox and blasted Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out for Summer” just before the final bell rang (I had no idea who Alice Cooper was, by the way).

Immediately after, a group of us dashed to a friend’s house nearby and grabbed cans of shaving cream to celebrate the commencement of summer. Before, eventually, jumping into the Indian River without a care in the world. Looking back, maybe what made those moments so meaningful was not simply that school ended. It was that, for a brief moment, life slowed down enough for us to enjoy the gift of being present.

Sometimes strength for today begins with remembering that God is still faithful, still present, and still calling us to find rest in Him.

Summer can also often arrive with exhaustion. For many military families, summer is not primarily a season of rest. It is PCS season. Retirement season. New assignment season. New beginnings season.

Families are packing boxes, saying goodbye to close friends (and hopefully churches they love), enrolling children in new schools, likely preparing to start over in unfamiliar places. Some step into exciting opportunities while others quietly carry the emotional weight of transition and uncertainty.

This summer specifically also marks a major transition for the United States Navy Chaplain Corps. Chaplain Gregory Todd retired as Navy Chief of Chaplains this past month. Rear Admiral Todd’s faithful leadership, steady presence, and care for Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and their families have left a lasting impact across the fleet.

Pictured are U.S. Navy Chief of Chaplain’s, Rear Admiral Gregory Todd (left) and U.S. Navy Chaplain, Lt. Zack Parker (right). Rear Admiral Todd retired this past month. This marks a major transition for the United States Navy Chaplain Corps.

Yet even beyond the military community, many people enter summer tired from nonstop schedules, work demands, emotional fatigue, and months of running at full speed. The truth is that many of us are worn-out.

However, what is encouraging is this: even Jesus rested. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus regularly stepped away from crowds, ministry demands, and constant needs to pray, recharge, and spend time with God the Father.

In Mark 6:31, Jesus told His disciples, “…Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” That invitation still matters today. Rest is not laziness. Rest is wisdom. Sometimes the thing we can do to strengthen our spirit the most is to slow down long enough to breathe, pray, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most.

This summer, pray for military families navigating PCS moves, retirements, and uncertain new chapters. Pray for peace in the transition, strength for marriages and children, safe travels, and new communities that will welcome them well. And perhaps give yourself permission to slow down to enjoy the sunshine.

For those on the Space Coast, watch the ocean a little longer. Read the book you have been putting off. Volunteer at a local Vacation Bible School. Take a quiet walk. Sit with God during the sunrise, and why not, the sunset too.

It would probably look silly to roll out a boombox and play Alice Cooper at the beach, but maybe throw on your Bluetooth speaker Jimmy Buffett’s classic, “A Pirate Looks at Forty” (thanks, dad, for the reference!)

Whether you are packing up your life in cardboard boxes or simply trying to live by a calendar that never stops, remember to let the music play and carry you back to a place of simple presence to your own jumping into the river without care. The water is warm and God’s invitation will always stand: come and rest.

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.”