Mommy, What Does God Want Me to Be When I Grow Up?

This is a conversation we are having a lot lately.  Sophia really wants to know.  Natalie already does (she has about 3 options she is pursuing as we speak).  Ella Grace is a little young.  She is pretty obsessed with milk, pears and rolling over. But in watching VeggieTales' Lord of the Beans, Sophia has been pondering her gifts and her future.

My response to her question has been: I'm not sure, Sweetheart.  Why don't we ask God?

Usually, that garners me the well-worn excuse of But I don't hear from Him like you do.  So, finally, after the 10th time she'd asked me, I had her sit down, be quiet and listen.  We prayed and then she wrote out a list of ten gifts and talents that she's been given:

 

You will notice eating gelato made the list.  She is really, really, really good at that.  (We haven't made it to 2nd grade yet, no judgment on the phonetic spelling.)  We prayed again, then, I had her write down a list of five things she can do to help others with those gifts.  

 

Again, gelato made the list.  Italy has had a major influence on her, can't you tell?  I will admit, I contributed to number five.

So, we didn't get an answer to what Sophia will do or be or achieve for the rest of her life.  What we did get was a start.  We aren't sure what it is the start of, but we know it's something good.  It's a path the Lord will be with her on and when He finally opens her ears and heart to her true calling, she will be ready.  Maybe she will teach kids in the ghettos of America, Africa, Russia, Asia or the slums of India how to make gelato to support themselves and their families.  I don't know, but if she does it for the love of Jesus, it will be the right thing.

Journeys, especially for our kids, aren't about the destination.  I've long wanted to put away the thought that I have anything other than prayer to contribute to what my kids "will be."  That's beyond my pay grade to decide.  When they follow Christ, He will take them on much bigger adventures than Dave and I have so far.  

I desperately desire they follow Him over my desires for their lives.  Even if that takes them longer to figure out than I want.

When they do, they will learn He is trustworthy and faithful and full of resources for them to depend on.  I'm sure I won't like everything He involves them in, but I pray I will show them obedience in following His lead.  My life has become about what I learn on the walk with Christ, not about how far or how fast I go.  So, that is what I must expect for my kids.  Here is my short, parenting prayer today:

Lord, make it about the journey with You for my girls.  And for Sophia especially, make sure she gets to eat a lot of gelato along the way.