Last week my wife had surgery on her foot.  The procedure was not because of an accident, but was planned to take care of some maladies that were causing her discomfort.  The very skilled podiatrist performed the operation and everything went as planned, and we hope that the intended improvement in her foot health will be the ultimate result.  But regardless of the skill of the surgeon, significant pain was expected and it became a reality; Gale suffered quite a bit during the hours after the procedure.  Thankfully as time went on the pain became less intense.

As improvements came over the next few days, she was ready to get cleaned up and put on some real clothes.  We devised a plan for giving her a shower and washing her hair.  It was somewhat of a tedious process, but when she got dressed she was greatly comforted by the results of a good bathe.

She was all smiles and I felt honored that I had contributed to helping her achieve that simple goal that was of such great value to her.  Everything went fine to this point, then came a sudden turn of events.  With everything almost complete she hobbled into the bathroom to get the final details finished so she could relax.  As she approached the vanity, somehow her tender foot filled with stitches bumped into the cabinet.  Her joy quickly turned into pain and fear.  All I could do was hold her and offer comfort until the crisis passed.

While she never stated it to me, it is possible that she wondered if the procedure was really worth all the pain and hardship associated with it.  Perhaps we have all had such questions during the snags along the path of life.  But if what we are struggling with and even hurting from has the hope of better things to come we can maintain confidence that the momentary struggle is worth enduring as we move toward the outcome that we seek after.  Second Corinthians 4:17 gives us hope as we wrestle with the hardships of life:  “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all”  (New International Version).

There are few roles in life that are filled with more struggles and challenges than parenthood, yet at the same time there are few adventures of life that bring greater reward than being blessed with children and nurturing them as they mature and achieve honorable goals in life.  If we ask ourselves as parents if it really is worth it trying to lead a child in the right direction, we should always arrive at the conclusion that indeed it is.  Sometimes, however, the value is overshadowed by the distress of the immediate hardships.  Thankfully, as we lean on God for help and guidance He will help us realize the immense value of it all.  We are reminded in Scripture of how we should direct our focus and efforts:  “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”  (2 Corinthians 4:18).

As a dad, even as we celebrate Father’s Day, you might feel like giving up at times because of the demands placed on you and because of your thoughts and feelings of inadequacy.  There will be those times when you will move almost immediately from things going well to the sensation that everything suddenly became chaotic.  In such times remember to keep your focus on what is to come—the unseen—rather than on the temporary pain of the moment.  As you do, you will find that the effort really is worth it. 

The procedure was not because of an accident, but was planned to take care of some maladies that were causing her discomfort.  The very skilled podiatrist performed the operation and everything went as planned, and we hope that the intended improvement in her foot health will be the ultimate result.  But regardless of the skill of the surgeon, significant pain was expected and it became a reality; Gale suffered quite a bit during the hours after the procedure.  Thankfully as time went on the pain became less intense.

As improvements came over the next few days, she was ready to get cleaned up and put on some real clothes.  We devised a plan for giving her a shower and washing her hair.  It was somewhat of a tedious process, but when she got dressed she was greatly comforted by the results of a good bathe.

She was all smiles and I felt honored that I had contributed to helping her achieve that simple goal that was of such great value to her.  Everything went fine to this point, then came a sudden turn of events.  With everything almost complete she hobbled into the bathroom to get the final details finished so she could relax.  As she approached the vanity, somehow her tender foot filled with stitches bumped into the cabinet.  Her joy quickly turned into pain and fear.  All I could do was hold her and offer comfort until the crisis passed.

While she never stated it to me, it is possible that she wondered if the procedure was really worth all the pain and hardship associated with it.  Perhaps we have all had such questions during the snags along the path of life.  But if what we are struggling with and even hurting from has the hope of better things to come we can maintain confidence that the momentary struggle is worth enduring as we move toward the outcome that we seek after.  Second Corinthians 4:17 gives us hope as we wrestle with the hardships of life:  “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all”  (New International Version).

There are few roles in life that are filled with more struggles and challenges than parenthood, yet at the same time there are few adventures of life that bring greater reward than being blessed with children and nurturing them as they mature and achieve honorable goals in life.  If we ask ourselves as parents if it really is worth it trying to lead a child in the right direction, we should always arrive at the conclusion that indeed it is.  Sometimes, however, the value is overshadowed by the distress of the immediate hardships.  Thankfully, as we lean on God for help and guidance He will help us realize the immense value of it all.  We are reminded in Scripture of how we should direct our focus and efforts:  “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”  (2 Corinthians 4:18).

As a dad, even as we celebrate Father’s Day, you might feel like giving up at times because of the demands placed on you and because of your thoughts and feelings of inadequacy.  There will be those times when you will move almost immediately from things going well to the sensation that everything suddenly became chaotic.  In such times remember to keep your focus on what is to come—the unseen—rather than on the temporary pain of the moment.  As you do, you will find that the effort really is worth it.