The Flame

Not another essay! Serena groaned to herself as the teacher wrote the subject on the board: What I Want to Be When I Grow Up. I hate writing essays. Besides, I don't know what I want to be. Serena sighed and wrote down the topic. At home that evening, Serena complained about the assignment. "How do I know what I'll want to do when I'm older? I'm just a kid!" Dad smiled as he lit a candle on the table. "You don't have to commit to any career right now, but it doesn't hurt to think about what you might enjoy doing. In fact, I think you're already doing that. Just a couple days ago you and your sister hauled me into your doctor's office to check my ears and blood pressure. And a couple days before that, you and your brother were talking about settling on the moon."Serena grinned. "Maybe I will be a doctor someday. Or an astronaut. I don't know. But I can tell you what I don't want to be--an author. I don't like writing.""That's okay, but who knows? That may change," said Dad. "Just remember that your career isn't the most important thing in life anyway." He pointed to the flame of the candle. "Someone once told me our lives are like a flame. Is a flame a good thing or a bad thing?""Well, it could be either one," said Serena. "It could light a fire to cook food or provide warmth--that would be good. But it could do really bad things too, like start a fire that burns down a house or injures someone."Dad nodded. "Exactly. So, how is a person's life like a flame?"Serena hesitated. "Because it could be used for either good or bad?" "Yes," said Dad. "Life is a precious gift from God, but it's meant to be lived in relationship with Him. That's why we need to trust in Jesus. Even though Christians still make mistakes in life and do things that are wrong, Jesus forgives us and works through us to do good things. You don't need to know right now what you want to be when you grow up. Just know that, no matter what career you have, Jesus will use your life for good because you trust in Him." -Mary Rose Pearson