We all want the best for our kids. I admit that sometimes I have grandiose ideas of what they might do as a career one day. They will be successful and give me full credit for all of my hard work and sacrifice throughout the years as their home school teacher/mom who invested YEARS of her life and time into each one of them….or something like that.
Sometimes though, these kids of mine remind me that they, indeed, have their own thoughts, ideas and goals for their own life (and this is a good thing).
Go with me for a moment– Yesterday we were on our field trip to JAARS, learning about how people devote their life to having the Bible translated into another language. We learned about pilots who risk their life on a daily basis going in and out of jungles to reach people who have never heard about Jesus. My imagination ran away from me, and I could picture each of my kids in a certain role that the folks at JAARS told us about yesterday.
Well, my dose of reality came today at lunch. Each kiddo was eating quesadillas and chips while sitting on their stools. I was standing opposite them and Mack said, quite randomly, “I don’t want to die. I want to be like Elijah.”
“Oh, really? You just want to be caught up in the sky to heaven?” I asked.
“Yes, I think that is way better than dying,” he said, confidently.
Molly sits up straighter and announces, “I don’t want to go to heaven for a while. I have stuff to do…like have kids and stuff.”
I gently told her that having kids is good and all, but it also comes with a lot of heart ache and hard work–and that heaven would surpass anything she desires here on earth.
She gave me a You-Are-Crazy look and then said, in all seriousness, “I have to get married. It’s my life goal.”
Then, Mack confirmed that not dying, but just going straight to Heaven was his life goal.
Interesting conversations around here…..and good reminders that the kids need direction and love and prayer, but in the end, they will make their own decisions and career choices. Super glad that isn’t all on me. Whew.
