Balancing family and career calls for tough, unselfish choices. If you make the right ones you will look back with joy, not regret. John Ortberg writes: 'A friend of mine is a professional musician. For many years he made his living on the road. He was becoming increasingly successful. Then three years ago he became a father. He was on the road about half the time. He realized that when his daughter was about a year old she hardly knew him. He knew he needed to make a change but it was frightening to him. What if his career slowed to a crawl? What if being home more, actually made life harder? He took a job as the head of a music department at a university. He still performs, but he travels now only a fraction of the time. His relationship with his daughter has become a source of pride and joy in his life that he otherwise never would have known. He did have to let go of some of his old dreams, but he has since recorded a best-selling CD and been nominated for a Grammy. Most importantly, he realizes his daughter will grow up a fundamentally different human being now, than she would have if she had grown up with a hole in her heart where her father was supposed to be. By the end of his life he will have a title that means much more to him than Rock Star. The title is "Dad!"
The Bible says a leader 'must manage his own family well, (1 Timothy 3:4 NIV). And that doesn't just apply to leaders, it applies to all of us!
Too many neglect a vital part of their children's lives. It is great to financially support them, but kids need the security of a parent also. Following a car wreck, shortly before the birth of my first grandchild, it was decided that I would be a stay-at-home grandmother. I kept my daughter's 2 kids while she worked (her marriage ended while expecting 2nd child). And for the past 10 years, I have been raising my younger son's only child. Cody needed stability, so my kids have chosen to support me so all 3 grandkids would have someone available always.
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