About two days ago, some difficult situations arose within my family. Some of them have been much longer than two days in the making, but they have all converged on this one time in our lives. One family member has had cancer for a long time, and is now just living minute to minute. One family member suffered brain trauma and is in for what will probably be a difficult recovery. My wife is in the last month of a pregnancy, so anything could happen at any time. Late last night we discovered a roof leak. Last night, two of my children wet their beds (at obscene hours, too). Today my one year-old discovered how to open childproof latches, and did so several times to prove that it was not a fluke. Now, clearly some of these are far more serious than others, but I cannot imagine going through any of them without the knowledge of God. I cannot imagine going through any of this without my family around me. Many people, some through no fault of their own, don't have family who loves them and knows how to stay together through hard times. I am and have always been thankful for the family that I have.
Gentlemen, when times like these come, and they do, we need to remember something. Yes, this is what we signed up for. And, if we cut and run when things get a little tough, then we don't deserve the people whom God has entrusted to us. (We already don't, but you know what I mean.) We will be the ones who teach our children how to handle the death of a family member. We will be the ones who will be reliable or unreliable when our family members need us to stay up with them, to pick up the slack or to think of their needs and wants while they're neglecting themselves to take care of someone else. We will be the ones to bring stability to our homes, and that stability's name is Jesus. We will be the ones to get it done, whatever "it" is. We'll be the ones that our kids will be able to count on, because we behave like the One we count on.
"He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."-Psalm 1:3