I Have Returned

I would say "Welcome Back!" but for one thing: I'm the one returning. I've been keeping track of daily visitors, and I've been astounded at the number of visitors this month alone. Thanks to my stats counter (StatCounter.com; go figure!) I have been able to see what people around the world have been looking for, and while my blog entries might not have been exactly what people were desiring to find, at least I know that the word is getting out there, and I can tailor entries to meet the needs of those who stop by.

Just a little bit of news before moving on. As you recall from my last entry, the latest addition to our family has arrived. Our son Daniel was born on Thursday, September 6^th, weighing in at 7 lbs, 3 oz, and 20 inches long. Since then it's been a roller coaster with the health of the baby and mommy, but Lord willing, everyone is headed toward health. I appreciate your prayers and support during this time, and it's good to be back. Now, on with the entry.

I've recently confronted the question, "Why does life have to be so hard?" Boy, wouldn't it be great if, by the end of this entry, I had an answer for us. Unfortunately I don't know if that is possible. It always seems that when it's crunch time, hard decisions have to be made. In the greatest trials of life it seems that no matter what you choose, there is some level of disappointment. At times that disappointment is almost more than a person can bear. But it's during those moments that one discovers who they really are, who they want to be, and who they can be.

How many times have each of us thought, "I can't do this," no matter what "this" might be? There have been countless times I've been confronted with that feeling, a time when those hard decisions are more than hard; they're impossible. I've found, though, that it almost always comes down to one thing: what is best?

What is best is not always what is easy. What is best is not always what we want. What is best is not always popular and what is best is not always something that pays off in the short-term. But without fail, what is best works out in the long run. Sure, you may have to wait a while, but in the end (and that's what the goal should be: not always the "now" but the "end") you discover that what was right is what was best, even if it was difficult.

While I could present a laundry list of situations in which I confronted these ideas, I will present only one. When our first son was born, I recall thinking, "There is absolutely no way I'm ready for this. I can't do it. I can't be a father." Now there were a lot of issues behind those thoughts, and I won't get into them because they are private. But when I finally accepted that I was indeed a father, I determined to learn what that meant, and how I could be the best one I could be. Have I failed? At times. But my determination has never been stronger. Now that I have two sons, it's time to learn some more and work harder and do the very best I can, no matter how hard it might be.

So why does life have to be so hard? Maybe it's supposed to be. Maybe life is hard so that we learn what life is truly all about, to learn what strength we do have within us, to see what determination and desire and drive can do when we put them to use. Maybe life is hard so we can appreciate what we have, and strive for what we don't. Life is hard, and sometimes it's not very fun. But it's life, it's ours, and it's up to us what we do with it. I encourage you to live it to the best of your ability, for the glory of God, and achieve what is hard. Then take pride in that accomplishment and use it as a stepping stone to even more. God bless.

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