My Most Important Role

I've been a lot of things in my life. I've been a Pastor, Youth Pastor, Education Pastor, Associate Pastor, Campus Missionary, Teacher, Speaker, Coach, Consultant, Operator, Technician, Manager and a whole list of other things. They have been great positions for the most part, but there is one role that is looming over me and I feel the responsibility. I cherish it, but also don't underestimate it. It's the role of being the head of my family. I'm a husband and father.

I haven't always been the best at this role. I've messed up, said and done things I regret, I've dropped the ball and just blown it. The job keeps changing, I started with no kids, now there are three. They keep getting older and it gets more complicated. This year I have one is Elementary, one in Middle School and one in High School. It's no longer simple questions, the questions and problems are much more complex. I'm trying to walk beside my wife as we navigate teenage years. Teenage attitudes. Issues that come up.

Marriage keeps changing too. When we started it was just her and I and we had no idea what we were doing. Now it's been 16 years and she knows what she is doing but I'm still pretty clueless. I try to be helpful but I fail at that. I am thankful that I have a very forgiving wife. I know I have blown it often as the Spiritual leader of the house. I don't pray with her like I should, I have struggled with that our entire marriage. I don't really talk with her about the Bible like I should either. I have tried, but I often end up on things that are more theoretical than practical. Theories and ideas and all sorts of Woven things about time and predestination.

I am not the perfect dad or husband. I mess up but I know that I have to try and I have to do my best. I can't just cut out or cop out or fade out. I'm dad, no one else is going to have that role for my kids because they are my kids. I can't resign or get fired or get fired and tell everyone I resigned. I have to get better. On the plus side, I found out if you read on your chosen field for an hour a day, you'll be an international expert in like 7 to 10 years. I will keep reading all I can about being a good dad and a good husband. I have a good number of books read, so I'll just keep at it.

How about you? Are you the perfect mom, dad, husband, wife, son, daughter, employee, whatever? We live in a day when it's just easier to quit, cut and run, quit and give up. You can't, and you shouldn't. Let's try a little more, give a little more, tolerate a little more and work on that patience thing. Don't buy the lie that if you leave, things will be better. It rarely boosts moral to lose someone from your life, so let's keep going. We can survive, we can thrive and we can do this. You can do this.