Devotionals for the Heart: Dreams

When I Grow Up …
A devotional by Glynis Becker

"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture."

–Psalm 100:1-3 (NASB)

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I was a child who loved all things related to air and space: planets, stars, the Space Shuttle, airplanes. I dreamed about being an astronaut, but dreams and reality do not always coincide. The truth is, I am not a risk-taker at all, so even riding roller coasters at the fair is a no-go for me. There is no way I’d actually take a rocket to space. I realized at a pretty young age that I would never be able to introduce myself as an astronaut.

I also spent some time wanting to be a doctor or nurse. I love science, but the more I learned about biology the more I realized I wouldn’t be able to handle that at all. My family, who has seen me almost pass out from someone just talking about their surgeries or ailments, thinks it's funny that I ever even thought I could work in the medical field. So I guess I’ll never be able to introduce myself as a doctor, either.

In this society our entire identities can be wrapped up in what we do. We often, probably too often, place our search for meaning and legacy in the job or position we hold. If it’s one the world considers prestigious, then we are “successful.” If not, a person might feel they have nothing important to offer.

In the kingdom of God no one is insignificant. No one has any more than anyone else to offer to God. He has given us life and breath and we all we can do is give those back to Him. You and I may not make major contributions to science, or write bestselling books, or be loved by millions as a celebrity, but lucky for us, our eternal identities don’t depend on any of that.

Do you feel like you’ve failed or are insignificant? Offer Him yourself today. Give Him this moment and ask Him to breathe new life into your identity. No matter your age, no matter how many dreams have been crushed by your shortcomings or the circumstances you live in.

I now have a new dream for when I grow up. I want to see myself the way Jesus sees me. I want my identity to wrap itself in His. And I want to see others that way as well.

Let’s pray: Dear God, I give You everything. I don’t care if I am a success or a failure in this world, I just want to be who you have designed me to be. I love you and want to rest in Your love for me. Be with me today and always. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume. 

She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two teenage children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting. 

You can find her at www.glynisbecker.com.