When I was younger, my mom used to share stories about her dad. Her dad worked in the army and later was a truck driver. Because my mom served in the army and constantly drove from state to state, she didn’t get to see her dad much. However, when she did see him, she was overjoyed. With time, my mom noticed that her dad slowly became depressed, but he never openly talked about his feelings.
At times, he felt he was failing my mom, yet she consistently shared happy memories of her dad. While I don’t know if my grandpa will ever know what an amazing dad he was on this earth, I’m sure he knows now in Heaven. Perhaps you are like my grandpa and feel like you are failing as a dad. Maybe you struggle with depression, and you think this makes you “a bad dad,” or you are always at work, unable to spend much time at home.
Never doubt yourself—you are an amazing dad. Having depression, struggles, or troubles does not make you a “bad dad.” The very fact that you are worried about failing shows that you are a good, caring, and kind dad. When feelings of failure creep into your mind, turn to the Bible. God’s Word can help you feel more hopeful, optimistic, and positive about yourself.
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