More Daily Encouragement for the Smart StepFamilySample

Bonus Love

“Okay, Ron, just where do I fit in this picture?” I heard this familiar question while talking with a friend of mine. He’s a stepdad and he loves his kids dearly. He said, “Ron, I want to be the one who teaches my stepson how to shave and the one who walks Emily down the aisle on her wedding day, but I think their dad ought to do those things. So what is my role?”

You know, being the Bonus Mom or Dad sometimes means you don’t get the first seat at the table (and you’ll have to grieve this). But it does mean that as an added parent figure in the life of a child, everything you offer is bonus! A bonus hug, a bonus word of encouragement, a bonus smile, a bonus challenge, a bonus godly influence. And in a world where lots of people don’t have any at all—bonus love. Doesn’t that have a nice ring to it? When you think about it in that light, being a bonus parent is a great role to fill.

Dear God, never let me take for granted the privilege and honor of being a bonus blessing in the lives of my stepchildren. 

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© 2018 by FamilyLife. Excerpted with permission from Daily Encouragement for the Smart Stepfamily by Ron L. Deal with Dianne Neal Matthews, Bethany House Publishers. Get more daily encouragement with this 365-day devotional that will keep your family blending and bonding throughout the year.