Choices

As my son and his friends graduate this Spring there are so many emotions competing for my attention.  I am excited and happy for our son - proud of all that he has accomplished and excited to see what his future holds.  And I am thoughtful as I contemplate the age old questions that everyone asks during this time of year:

"What do you want to do for the rest of your life?" 
"Where are you going to college?"  
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" 
"How are you going to reach your goals?"

And we all have different answers to these questions - often we seek answers through the lens of our own decisions when we faced them and/or through the lens of what society deems appropriate.  

Graduate high school, attend college, get a job, get married, buy a house, have children, buy lots of stuff, retire, etc....

And for all intents and purposes, I looked through that lens and followed those dreams.  But what if we miss our God given talents by following the crowd?  What if our dreams or those of our children seem to veer off the beaten path to blaze new trails?  I suppose we started this crazy path when we chose to home school our children seven years ago.  So for our son, there is no pomp and circumstance, no four hour commencement ceremony in a civic center or school gym, and no awards banquet to boast of all his accomplishments.  And I'm glad as I hope he feels less pressure about his future.  I pray he takes the time he needs to discover who he is as a child of God and allows our Heavenly Father to direct his steps.   I pray that he knows that he was uniquely created for special purposes that God will reveal in His own time.  I hope he knows that even what may appear as a misstep will eventually lead to blessings beyond measure. And finally, I pray that I can take off the lenses of tradition and encourage the dreams of following a new trail.

What does this have to do with anatomy and physiology?  Everything!  We were fearfully and wonderfully created - not all the same - not for the same purposes - and in life there are twists and turns that we can never foresee but we can with God's strength & peace face all things knowing "that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.

High School Graduates can never know the answers to the questions about their future (and neither can we) - but I pray that the God who loves us all will guide their steps - whether they are on traditional paths or unconventional trails.  God bless them all!