I am a Provider

For any of you that follow Sadie's blog, you know that this past week was pretty rough. You know, no matter how many kids you have, there will always be rough mom days, and rough mom weeks. Sadie called me on Friday after a rough morning, and I did my best to listen and assure. After we hung up, I really felt that the best thing I could do for this situation was to be home and give Sadie the afternoon off.

I am blessed that my job is usually flexible enough that taking off with a moment's notice isn't a big deal. I submitted a half-day vacation request, told my team lead I needed to leave, and then walked out. As I was riding home, I was pondering my role as a provider in our home. I go to work so I can support my family. If working isn't supporting my family (whether temporally or spiritually) then work isn't what I need to be doing. Sure, I had commitments at work, but my commitment to my family is more important. Resetting expectations for projects at work is much better than letting my family's needs go unmet. Going home midday isn't always the right thing to do, but this time I really felt it was what was needed, and the spirit confirmed that to me.

I felt appreciation for Heavenly Father's divine plan. I can't speak for all men, but sometimes I have the tendency to think my career is about me. Sure, it's important to excel at work, to plot your career path, and grow and improve. Sometimes putting in extra effort at work is certainly appropriate; but at the end of the day what really matters is my relationship with my family and how I met their needs. Heavenly Father blessed me with a family so I could learn to look outside myself and see the divinity of eternity within the walls of my home.