A few weeks ago, I had the incredible opportunity to take my boys to the Dominican Republic. My hope and prayer going into this trip were simple yet profound—I wanted the Lord to show Himself to my boys in a deeper way. I wanted them to see the world beyond our comfortable lives, to understand that the way we live is not the way most of the world lives, and to walk away with a new found gratitude for all that the Lord has provided.
I prayed that through this trip, my boys would see that the only difference between them and the children in the Dominican Republic was not talent, intelligence, or worth—it was simply where they were born. And that realization should lead us to overwhelming gratitude and a heart that desires to steward our blessings well.
I had expected the real challenges to come when we arrived in the Dominican Republic. Maybe the different culture, the language barrier, or the poverty would be the things that stretched them the most. But God had other plans.
The difficulties began before we ever set foot on Dominican soil. Unplanned overnight hotel stays, delayed flights, and back-to-back nights of only a few hours of sleep tested my boys in ways they had never experienced before. These weren’t the lessons I had planned for them—but they were exactly the ones God knew they needed.
For several nights, we got as little as three hours of sleep, and yet, I watched as my boys pressed on without complaining. I saw resilience begin to take root in them in a way that comfort and routine could never teach. They learned that exhaustion is not an excuse to give up, that we don’t always get to control our circumstances, but we do get to control our attitudes. And I saw a strength in them that I hadn’t seen before.
I had wanted this trip to challenge them—I wanted moments where they would have to push through discomfort and learn to rely on the Lord in new ways. I had envisioned those lessons coming while we were in the Dominican Republic, but instead, they came through canceled flights, unexpected layovers, and the exhaustion of travel.
And yet, isn’t that just like the Lord? He teaches us in ways we don’t anticipate, through circumstances we wouldn’t choose, and in the very moments we might have labeled as mere inconveniences rather than divine lessons.
For my boys, this trip became more than just an experience of seeing how others live. It became a firsthand lesson in perseverance, gratitude, and faith in the midst of struggle. They learned that no matter how much we prepare, things will not always go as planned, but we serve a God who is sovereign over every delay, every challenge, and every sleepless night.
We will be talking about this trip for years to come. Not just about the beauty of the Dominican Republic or the stark differences between our lives and the lives of those we met, but about how the Lord used this journey—every part of it—to shape us.
I’m grateful for the struggles, for the unplanned detours, and for the opportunity to see my boys grow stronger. I’m grateful that through this experience, they learned not just to see what they have, but to appreciate it, and to understand that our blessings are not something to take for granted, but something to steward well.
Most of all, I’m grateful that God answers prayers—not always in the ways we expect, but always in the ways that are best.
So, to every father out there—don’t be afraid to challenge your kids. Don’t shy away from discomfort or the unexpected. Sometimes, the best lessons aren’t in the places we plan to teach them but in the moments that catch us off guard.
I’m grateful that God answers prayers—not always in the ways we expect, but always in the ways that accomplish His perfect will.
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