(...An excerpt from a letter to my son...)
Mistakes
are what God allows us to make so we can learn from them. Our mistakes are not
what hold us down. It is how we choose to react to them that determine what
they mean in our lives. If we allow them
to fester, they never heal – they only serve to destroy everything
that is good.
God
creates a path – a series of paths really – for us to choose from, but even the
best of paths are filled with dangers.
He allows us to make our own choices, but he
desires to walk with us on whatever path we choose. It is what we do as we travel along that path that reflect who we are. We can choose to allow pot holes and difficult
terrain to slow our progress, to make us angry, frustrated, and distant,
bitter or apathetic. We can allow trials and tribulations to fill our lives with uncertainty and fear, or, we can see them as
humbling challenges. When we fall, we can choose to extend our right hand toward
our heavenly father to lift us – help us rest – so he can place us safely on his
shoulders to carry us across that difficult ground. Once
across the gauntlet, He will set us upon that path again and place his hand on our shoulder to guide us through
more difficult circumstances. Like the good father he is, he will challenge
us to face our fears –show us where we went wrong and then point the way back
to safety. He allows us to reap the rewards
and setbacks of our decisions. Yet, He
will embolden us to persevere through whatever comes our way. He touches our hearts with compassion and
fills it with confidence, and most importantly, he helps us discover what the love of a father really means.
He will do this even for Daddy’s who made too
many mistakes with their own sons. Amid the chaos, He provides clarity about knowing the distinction
between going it alone - and reaching for his strength. This realization comes from a heart that has
shared such moments with him – like a son and his dad – which is like it should
be…
