What do You Want to be?

What did you want to be when you were five? You know, that moment of life before society and your culture told you that your dream was impossible?

Somewhere in the boxes of time from my childhood, there is a picture of me as a five year-old. The picture was taken outside and I was in character—playing a role that I loved. My little five-year-old face was lit up in a smile and the black Bible in my arms was almost as big as me. Strapped across my shoulder was a “travel bag” that held my notebook and pencil, in case I needed to write down anything inspirational. I was playing “missionary”.

God planted in me a fascination for foreign missions. I vividly remember at the age of four or five, sitting trance-like at our family table listening to visiting missionary’s stories. No child-play for me! I wanted to hear every detail of these godly people’s lives.

You see, I believe that when God created us in our mother’s womb—He preloaded us with gifts and imprinting for what He wanted to use us for. Each of us is created to walk out those gifts a little different than anyone else.

Most of us have lost the vision of what He preloaded us with. For years I struggled with who I was supposed to be. Society influenced some of my decisions and my family culture influenced a LOT of my decisions. When I ask people what they want to be when they grow up many of them cannot answer and look at me a little funny.

Maybe they were told that it wasn’t possible for them to be a {fill in the blank} because mommy and daddy could never afford the training or schooling. Perhaps they were told that their vision was dumb or short-sighted. Whatever it was it set them on a different path. How about you?

When I was five I only wanted to be a missionary. God has always tugged me back toward His design for me through the years as I wandered from His vision for me.

When I was ten I wanted to be a writer. That dream molded with the first and I would spend hours writing by hand and eventually pounding out stories on an old typewriter. I decided to write a bi-monthly magazine for missionary kids and shipped it worldwide. It was fabulous! Within a few years I couldn’t keep up with it and my life had added “care-giver” to its duties. Still, there are people who remember when I wrote, printed and distributed Crucial Chronicles. It was great fun!

God has taught me over the years the gifts that He has preloaded me with will are not to be ignored. He placed them in me for a reason and they are the things that always tug me back when I get weary or frustrated. Simple things like missions, writing and helping heal the brokenhearted and wounded.

When I am walking in my design—my birthright—I am happiest. There is a feeling of communion with Father that is unhindered and refreshing. When I walk in my design I am more profitable for the kingdom and my Father is well pleased.

How about you? What did you want to be when you were five?

Are you being what our Father preloaded you to be?

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee…” Jeremiah 1:5