I Can('t) Do Anything!!

My mother has always told me that since the time I could form sentences, I informed anyone who would listen of my dream to become a veterinarian. I was overly obsessed with in love with animals of every kind. As I grew up, I loved bugs, reptiles, and any creepy crawly things that came my way. The company of cats and dogs was much preferable than that of people. Horses and cows amazed me. I devoured books by James Herriot and other veterinarian authors. I even had a computer game about being a vet.

My veterinarian dreams continued with vigor throughout my childhood. I was determined. I KNEW this was what I was meant to do.

Then a funny thing happened. I took Biology my freshman year of high school. And I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING. So with a sad heart, I began to rethink my veterinarian dream.

To this day, if you talk to me about anything related to science, I blank out. Because you might as well be speaking Greek to me. I don't get it. My brain is not wired for it. It's EXHAUSTING.

Fast forward ten years. I now have a daughter who is reaching the age when her personality is REALLY starting to show! I am beginning to see what kind of person she will be like in the years to come, and often wonder what talents she will have. Will she be musical (please, please, please, Lord, make it so!)? Will she enjoy cooking? Sports? Dancing? Or will she like...**dun, dun, dun dun dun dun...** science?? 

She loves to read books ("book" was one of her first real words, right after "no"), and I'm quickly becoming familiar with the "standards" of children's literature. A recurring theme that I see is this: "You can do ANYTHING you set your mind to!"

And...I don't like it. I don't buy it. I don't think it's true.

WAIT! Hear me out for a sec before you angrily click the "close" button and label me as an anti-American or a grinch or a pessimist!

Anyone remember "Monster's University?" Mike Wazowski prepared his whole life to be a world class scarer. He studied harder than anyone else. He stayed focused. His eye (ha) was on the prize. Eventually, though, through much soul searching, he realized he just wasn't scary. He was not made to be a scarer. And no matter how hard he tried, it wasn't going to happen.

God creates each and every one of us. He makes our personalities, body types, and talents. He made us the way we are because He has a plan for our lives. And we can fight against that plan all we want. But in the end, if we choose the path that God has chosen for us, we will find contentment.

So really, this is GOOD news! To me, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I have the talents, interests, and passions I do because God put them there to help me accomplish His plan for me. I don't have to struggle and fight tooth and nail to be interested in science. I can nurture the talents and interests that God DID give me, and enjoy life so much more in the process. Mike Wazowski eventually found something he loved, and he thrived.

Now does this mean that life will be all sunshine and roses and skipping if we follow God's plan for us? Of course not. We will still have to work our tushes off. We will still have obstacles. We will still have bad days when we fall to our knees, raise our eyes to the heavens, and dramatically cry out: "WHY AM I DOING THIS??!!" But I truly believe that when we cooperate with our Lord, even if his plan does not coincide with ours (which, let's face it, happens most of the time because us humans like to think that we know better), things will fall into place. Our hearts will be full. And dag nabbit, we'll be good at what we do!

So when I read books to my daughter, I'm going to try to help her realize what she really needs to strive for. Instead of asking what she wants for her life, she needs to ask what God wants. Once she figures that out, all she will need is the courage to:

For the record, I'm not a Star Trek fan.
This is my feeble attempt to encourage my husband to like my blog.
I never said I was below cheap tricks.

And let's hope that God's plan does not include any veterinary paths. Because with my genetics, let's just say that it probably ain't gonna happen.