When I Get Big

I guess this BLOG is mainly directed to my grandchildren…. those who are still trying to figure out what they’re going to do when they get big. When I was 7, I was going to be a major league baseball player. When my son Jon was 7 , he was going to be a fireman. When one of my grandsons was 7, he was going to develop video games. Probably safe to say that our career goal at 7 is usually not the one that comes to pass. 

But how do you prepare for what eventually becomes your life’s work? Gee, take a lot of math classes like Algebra ….  read a lot…. watch a lot of T.V. …. spend hours playing video games…. Hmmmmmmm. Well, how do you prepare? How do you prepare for eventually being a teacher or doctor or lawyer or plumber or laborer or baseball player? Is there any common thread that all of us need to be successful? Yikes, this is pretty deep. And it’s probably a little late for me to be worrying about.

What’s the measure of success for us? Am I a success if I win the Super Bowl, or become the CEO of a major corporation, or head up a major hospital or university, or become a general in the Army? And how do I prepare ? 

Well, the bottom line for success is  “do I spend eternity with God in heaven”. If I’m the richest and most successful person on earth and spend eternity separated from God and his goodness, then I’m a failure. On the other hand, even if my life is not a great worldly success but I go to heaven, then I’m a success. 

Okay, where are we going with this BLOG? Well, God wants us to love him and to love our neighbor. Part of doing that is using well the gifts God has given us. If we love God and follow his direction, we will do a lot of good and we’ll be on our way to heaven. Okay, one more important thing… to use the gifts well that we’ve been given, we need the virtues of God active in our life. Virtues like honesty, integrity, compassion, generosity, self-control, perseverance, etc. When these virtues are at the core of our soul, we will use our other gifts in the right way…..  for the benefit of others and not just ourselves.

So, if you are young, not like me, and are wondering what you should do with your life, develop the virtues. Obey God and your parents. As you do that you will be ready to launch off into any profession and be successful. And most importantly you will be ultimately successful and go to heaven. And that is very good news.