Posted in The Hard Truth

I saw this today at BetterDads - http://betterdads.net and it really touched me.  I wanted to share it with you in the hopes it will also bless you.  What an amazing life lesson that we can all learn from! <>< Kelly

A Father’s Letter to His Daughter

Dear Daughter,

    I know you are disappointed by your basketball coach’s decision to put you on JV instead of varsity. It is my opinion that it was the wrong choice too. But if you did the best you could, and you did everything possible to succeed, then you have nothing to be ashamed of and should have no regrets. Don’t be discouraged. We cannot control other people’s actions or their decisions, we can only control our attitude and our response to them.

    I would like you to look at this as an opportunity to shine. You will be playing down a level against players who are not as good or as experienced as you are. This is a chance to prove to the coaches that they made the wrong decision. Plus you never know, if someone on varsity gets hurt, they will have to bring up the best player on JV to fill the spot. However, if you quit or don’t step up your game, you only prove them right. I believe that is what happened last year. You allowed your coach to get to you, hence he was justified (proven right) in his decision to bench you just by your response. Don’t let him play head games with you. Develop your plan and then stick to it. Focus on what you are good at and then have fun this year.

    When faced with the challenges and disappointments of life we can respond in one of two ways. One way is to quit and blame someone else. When we do that we end up in life like both of your grandmothers. There’s much truth in the saying, “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” Sometimes we don’t have to leave in order to quit, our attitude can make us quit while we are still physically playing. Above all else, never give up on yourself.

    Or we can look at setbacks as an opportunity to grow and improve ourselves. As an opportunity to prove others wrong about us. Life is full of disappointments. My whole life people (starting with my parents) have been telling me I wasn’t good enough to accomplish something I wanted to do. I’ve had to overcome many challenges and roadblocks. I am currently being sued. People are saying bad things about me that are not true and very unfair. But I cannot allow that to stop me from being the best man I can be in my job, as a father and husband, or with my ministry. People count on me, and people will be counting on you on this team. You may not understand, but many girls look up to you. They desperately want your attention and friendship. You could be a great leader, but you have to show ALL your teammates you care about them. That means going out of our comfort zone and reaching out to them—taking a chance on them rejecting you. Your example in this situation and how you respond to it could change someone’s life—and you may never even know it.

Strength does not quit. It finishes the task in spite of any difficulty, stays on course in spite of any hazard, and maintains pace in spite of any confrontation.

    You really are a GREAT basketball player, I just think you have never really had a true opportunity to prove it. Believe me, if you can play with men (which you’ve proven you can), you can rip up on girls.

James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

   
Watch the movie Rudy and see how many struggles and disappointments he overcame. But it sure took a lot of hard work and a good attitude on his part. Success in everything you do in life is ninety percent attitude and ten percent hard work.

   
I know you think this is a lecture, but it’s not. It’s advice from my experience. If you don’t beat this challenge, it will become a habit for the rest of your life. I love you so much, I just want to help you succeed. I am very proud of you and I just want you to be happy. You are growing into a great young lady. Keep it up, and don’t let these things get you down. It will all work out for the best in the end. And always remember: Friends are everything—choose them carefully—they can make or break you.

   
I want to encourage you to read this letter several times and then pray about it. God will lead you and give you the strength you need to overcome all the struggles and disappointments that life throws at you. I will love you always and be there for you no matter what.

Love you Punkin,

Daddy