When I Grow Up

Watching my mom cuddled beside her novel and the fireplace each morning, as I set off for school,  was the first reason. It's sort of still in my list of reasons. Canadian winter mornings are almost enough reason to work from home, by itself. 

Sure. I played the guessing game, will I be a doctor? A lawyer? A musician? An engineer? No...I  never actually considered engineering, but whatever. It's  what kids did...we asked ourselves and were asked by grown ups. No one ever really asked me, "What do you think God has planned for you to do?" Huh. I sort of forgot that He had an actual plan for my life. Everyone told me it was up to me. Follow my dreams..the sky is the limit! 

I'm  sorry, but not sorry to say this, but this dreamer/achiever has realized that life...has...limits. It's sweet and positive to think otherwise, but it's not real and will totally disappoint you if you buy it. We are not gods. We are not all powerful. Stuff happens and we have to cope..no...not cope...be victorious. I think that might be God's word for successful...victorious. It has nothing to do with money, awards, fame or power. It doesn't even always look comfy and fun, but you win the real prize of life and it's totally satisfying.

Upon growing up a little, and after consulting with God Almighty, maker of Heaven, Earth and Mankind, through His holy word, given to us freely...imagine that...I realized that victory over myself and the world was the name of the game, not personal happiness and the American dream. So...get as close as you can to the only One bigger and more powerful than yourself and this world. Know Him and you win...victory...whatever that looks like in your set of circumstances. It's not what I want to be when I grow up, it's more like who I want to be closest to when I grow up. Because most people do understand that people and relationships are more important than money and success, so why do we put career above people in our priority list? 

When our kids get to the age when they seriously start thinking about graduating and careers, we set out the priorities in the order that we actually value them. For us that is: God, spouse, career. 

Seriously, your relationship with God and who you are going to spend the rest of your life with far more important than what you do for work! In fact, your work can change on a dime if you want it to. It's flexible, evolving and far easier to recover from failure in. Your salvation and mate...well...those things tend to work better when they are stable. Figure out who you are living for...then figure out if you should live with or without a mate, and who that might be...then start persuing how to get a paycheck. If you get the paycheck thing wrong..no biggie...try something else! Failure in career choice happens all the time and turns into good experience, failure in the other two becomes clinical, requiring eternal consequence coping. 

My job...what I do...payed or not...will change. Sometimes I'll love it and sometimes I'll hate it, because we are grown ups who sometimes have to do things we don't want to do. Although...I see lots of grown ups who don't  think that way anymore...the lotto 649 song rings true today, sadly. Its actually quite freeing to have this flexibility and pressure off of the "what am I going to do with my life" thing at 18 years old. Teach your kids to work hard and well, be honest, selfless and positive. Love learning, problem solving and trying new things. These qualities will be more than adequate when you start to do the things that God has planned for you to do. 

Keep your priorities straight..not just in word, but in action. Live what you believe. That's what I want to be when I grow up...authentic.