Today was a very long day for my 16 year old son, Calvin.
He had major surgery on his left foot/ankle and was at the hospital early and under anesthesia for hours.
Shortly after getting home we noticed blood seeping through his bandage.
Even though he was worn out, my wife had no choice but to take him to urgent care. After assessment there, they realized they didn't have the right supplies, so they sent him to the ER to get re-bandaged and to stop the bleeding. They got home late, and he was exhausted.
A few minutes ago, I got Calvin set up on the couch downstairs to sleep.
Before heading to bed myself, I asked him if he needed anything. He replied, “Mind grabbing my scriptures from my nightstand?”
I, of course, didn't mind. After bringing them down to him, I headed back upstairs to bed. I paused for a moment on the landing to pet one of our cats, and as I did, I heard his voice, speaking softly from the room beneath me.
At first, I thought he might be on the phone, but, straining my ears, I was able to make out a few words.
He was not on the phone, he was praying, thanking his Heavenly Father for helping the surgeon to do a good job and asking for His guidance as he read his scriptures for ways that he could improve.
Calvin was born with defective feet that have now both been operated on. He could easily be upset with God for that trial in his life. However, he's never once expressed any resentment or bitterness about the pain he has endured while running, or about the rough recoveries from the surgeries required to address the defects.
From this trial he has matured and grown in patience, empathy, and trust in the will of his Heavenly Father.
What a fortunate father I am to be blessed with the opportunity to learn from this great kid.
With 17 tackles against Hays last night, Great Bend senior Trenton Kern has now recorded 100+ tackles in THREE consecutive seasons
Sophomore year: 111
Junior year: 113
Senior year: 110 and counting
Only one other player in the ENTIRE state of Kansas from the Class of 2026 has accomplished triple digit tackles in back-to-back-to-back seasons.
Pretty elite stuff for @tkern51
Thank you to @Coach_Mitchum for the research assist!
📸: Patrick Heath
@lacekern@Skillutt28@GreatBend_FB@sportsinkansas@KansasPregame@HillBrosFB@PrepRedzoneKS@ElevateRecruits@jeremycrabtree