Night Light for Parents

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Footsteps
by Dennis Rainey
Samuel was always the natural athlete in our family.
Since I had played junior-college basketball and
baseball, I hoped that our son might follow in my
footsteps.
As a child, Samuel played Little League ball for a couple
of years with older boys and did well. But when he
turned thirteen, he really began to excel in tennis. We
loved attending his matches and tournaments. We drove
hundreds of miles, taking him all over the state to play
singles and doubles in tournaments. He brought home
trophies and ribbons, and he once battled the number-one
player in the state in his age group to match point before
losing in a tiebreaker.
Samuel was ranked seventh in the state when his game
began to slide. His coach didnt understand why he
wasnt getting to balls that earlier he had reached with
ease. Thinking it might be his shoes, we took him to an
orthopedic specialist for a proper fitting. The problem
only got worse.
After Samuels fourteenth birthday, we took the entire
family to a FamilyLife marriage conference in Dallas.
That weekend we noticed that Samuel wasnt keeping up
with the rest of us as we walked to dinner and later when

Read more in Night Light for Parents by Dr. James

and Shirley Dobson.
Whether married or single, with kids in diapers or
almost grown, you'll find practical parenting advice
and biblical truth.

we hurried to catch a plane at the airport.

The following Monday morning we went to a doctors
office with Samuel and were soon numb with disbelief as
the neurologist announced, Your son has a form of
muscular dystrophy. He will most likely never be
confined to a wheelchair, but he will never run again. His
days of tennis and sports are over. Months later a trip to
the Mayo Clinic confirmed the earlier diagnosis.
Although Samuels disease was not life threatening, we
felt as though a dream had died for a young man and his
parents.
The next four months were tough because Samuel
refused to quit tennis. Most matches he tripped and fell
facedown on the asphalt, losing in straight sets. Many of
his opponents, who had no way of knowing whatwas
going on, mocked and laughed at him. (He and a partner
did win a doubles tournament once, with a miraculous
come-from-behind victory.)
Finally, Samuel hung up his tennis racket, admitting that
his playing days were over.
Late one afternoon as I was driving Samuel home from a
doctor visit, we were talking about what his disease
meant to him as a young man. I was struggling to keep
my emotions composed while trying to comfort him. I
was battling my own feelings about a fourteen-year-old
boy who would never field grounders again. Never play
basketball with his brother. Never jog with his dad.
But Samuel ended up comforting me.
In the twilight of late afternoon, he turned to me and
with a boyish grin said,
Well, Dad, I guess you dont need legs to serve God.
I couldnt talk. As I brushed away a stream of tears, all I
could do was reach across the seat and give him a hug.
Samuel is not perfect. Hes still spreading his wings and,
like all of us, learning constantly what it means to be a

disciple of Christ.
But riding in the car with me that afternoon, he showed
me that he was a young man whose identity went far
beyond tennis, whose character was weathering a stiff
challenge, whose relationship with God and family was
sustaining him, and whose mission for God transcended
any physical limitations he would face in his lifetime.
I had hoped that Samuel would follow in my athletic
footsteps. I was delighted to realize that he was choosing
a far more meaningful path.

Looking ahead
Is anything more difficult for a parent than watching a
son or daughter go through pain, whether its physical,
emotional, or spiritual, or a combination of the three?
You want desperately to take away the hurt, yet there is
nothing you can do. Or is there?
Its true that many of lifes difficult moments cant be
avoided. Times of crisis are inevitable. But you can
equip your children to face the hardships to come. Its
the most important task youll ever undertake.
Well be talking this week about your primary job as
mom or dad: helping your kids establish a relationship
with the Lord. Their faith in almighty God will guide and
protect them, give them strength, and place them on the
path that leads to an eternity with Him. No matter how
severe the challenges, our heavenly Father will provide
your children with the comfort they need, when they
need it. And when youre hurting, Hell do the same for
youperhaps even through your own son or daughter.
- James C. Dobson

From Night Light For Parents, by Dr. James &

Shirley Dobson
by James Dobson, Inc.

Footsteps by Dennis Rainey. From Parenting

Todays Adolescent by Dennis and Barbara

Rainey with Bruce Nygren. Thomas Nelson, Inc.

These devotionals are drawn from Night Light for Parents by Dr. James and Shirley Dobson Night Light for Parents
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