1 Mother 2 Another

Every Saturday Maddie goes to horseback
riding lessons, and the countryside commute before and after has
become one of my favorite times of the week. As we drive out to the
stable Maddie visibly relaxes, and the country air and quiet roads
are almost a truth serum for the girl; a couple miles into the
drive she starts talking and usually doesn’t stop until
we’re there. The topic’s never the same – just
whatever’s on her heart.


This past Saturday Maddie seemed to be thinking a lot about the
future.


“Mom,” she began, “I’m not sure I know what
I want to be when I grow up. Is that bad?”


This from a seven-year-old.

“No, honey, that’s not bad at
all,” I said firmly. “You have years to decide what you
want to do when you grow up, and you may change your mind even
after you’re an adult! You may discover new passions your
whole life.”


“Sometimes I wish I lived in a country where I didn’t
have a choice about what I was going to do when I grow up,”
she said, “and someone just told me what I had to do. Then I
wouldn’t have to figure it out.”


I proceeded carefully. “I can certainly understand why not
having to make a choice would be attractive. But maybe the reason
you don’t know what you want to be when you grow up is
because you have so many passions right now, it’s hard to
limit yourself to just one future!”


Maddie nodded. “I mean, I feel like God’s calling me to
help the poor people, maybe in Africa. I think maybe I’ll
grow up to organize toys and things they need over there, and take
supplies to poor countries. But I’m also passionate about
animals, and love being around them.”


“I can totally see both of those things,” I smiled.
“You have a big heart for helping others, and a strong sense
of justice that may well come into whatever you do as a grown-up.
But I also see how much you enjoy being around animals.”


“Yes,” she agreed. “I do enjoy being around
people some, but if I’m around too many people for a long
time, I get kind of ‘blech, I’m done!’ with them
and I want everyone to go away. When I go horseback riding
it’s just me and the horse, and I can be outside in nature
listening to the birds chirp and the crickets talk and the wind
blow and – I just love being outside, and I don’t feel
stressed around animals the way I do sometimes around
people.”


She sits back, still thinking hard.


“You know, honey,” I said, “the great thing here
is that you don’t have to decide right away. You’ve got
years still to explore your passions and figure out what you want
to pursue. And there may be a time in your life when what
you’re passionate about isn’t your job, but something
outside your job. And that will be ok. But I guarantee you, if
God’s calling you to something, He will definitely give you a
passion for it. You won’t be called to something you hate, I
promise.”


Maddie smiled, satisfied, and was silent the last few minutes of
the drive.


When did she grow up? And why is it necessary?