My Hardest Job

I recently participated in a gospel discussion with missionaries from my church who were teaching a friend who is investigating the church and preparing to be baptized.

After the missionaries left we continued talking and since my 3 brothers and I each served on missions, the talk turned to what the life of a missionary is like. I commented that I probably got more sleep then because they're in bed from around 9pm to 6am whereas now I get to bed around the same time but I get up for work around 4am.

My Mom commented that being a missionary has got to be the most difficult job. I started thinking about the various responsibilities I've had during my life and decided that while I know my Mom was referring to a profession, being a full time Dad has definately been the the most challenging and demanding job of my life.

It makes me appreciate the help and support my wife has been in this monumentous task and awesome responsibility we have been blessed with.

When my Wife was recently out of town for a week, I gained a greater appreciation for all this when I worked half days from home then played Mr, Mom sarting at 8am. However the first day was Sunday and that afternoon after church we were to be hosting my sister in-law's son's birthday celebration. Well I woke at 5am with the 8 yr. old sick in the bathroom. I took care of her and we both went back to bed. So of course we couldn't go to church so we overslept and I missed the opportunity to inform my sister in-law about my sick child since they were already at church.

So around 10am or so my 6yr. old got sick but she did so leaving a trail from her bed to the bathroom that I had to clean up. Well I finished that task about 10 minutes before guests were to arrive at which time I was informed that my 6 yr. old made another deposit on the hardwood dining room floor downstairs. I was just finishing cleaning up that mess whe people started to arrive.

So. 2 of my 3 kids were confined to their room while guests were downstairs and I was glad that my 3 yr.old had not gotten sick too. I had just sat down with my plate of food and my 3 yr. old came to sit on my lap. I figured she would eat off my plate. Instead she added to my plate the contents of her stomach. So not only did I have 3 sick kids, another mess to clean up, and no wife to help, but I got my food last so the food was gone except for a few morsels left on the veggie tray.

So yes, fatherhood is the hardest job I'll ever have but it gives rewards that I could never get any other way and I wouldn't trade it for anything.


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