Character that Counts

I picked up a book last night that my husband is reading by Tony Dungy, Uncommon, Finding Your Path to Significance. I read a few sentences that immediately captured my attention, and left me thinking about the importance of character.

If you're not familiar with Tony Dungy, he was the first African American football coach to take a winning team to the Super Bowl when the Indianapolis Colts won it in 2007. He is only one of three men to win the Super Bowl as a player and head coach.

In the book, Tony Dungy talks about what character is. "Character begins with the little things in life. I must show that I can be trusted with each and every thing, no matter how trivial it may seem."

He goes on to discuss character on the football field, which can also be applied to our character as stepparents. "When it comes to character, the game of football can be a real test for our players. Will they decide to do the right thing, even when they know doing so will be difficult?"

"Character is tested, revealed, and further developed by the decisions we make in the most challenging times. We have to know what is right, and we have to choose to do it. That is how character is developed - by facing those decisions and choosing the right way over and over until it becomes second nature."

I think as stepparents, we usually know the right thing to do. We know how to treat our stepchildren and we know how to be a capable stepparent. The question becomes, "Will we do the right thing, even when it's difficult?" Will we choose "the right way over and over until it becomes second nature?"

Hmmmm.