spiritual life, women

Be careful what you wish

JOY journal

“We think we know what we want, but we can never really know until we’ve got it. And sometimes when we have, we discover we never really wanted it in the first place – but then it’s too late.” Alexandra Potter, British novelist

Walking past a computer where a daughter was checking out another Sims 4 player’s virtual household the other day was a surprise. There, alongside a video-playing teen and a toddler eating a peanut butter sandwich right on the couch, was a virtual me. Or, the virtual future me, should I be so blessed.

Me, now. Someday, I just might be a groovy grammy with equally wild hair that’s white!

I stood and watched a good five minutes the resemblance was so astonishing. Tall. The same wild, curly bob — although hers was white and mine is still dishwater. Same granola clothes. Same house decor. Same habits and hobbies.

It was odd, seeing my potential future self in action. But, I liked it. I would, in fact, consider it a gift from God to age into that cool-clothes, strong-bodied, natural-haired woman. Bring it on! (OK, not quite yet. Especially the grandchildren eating peanut butter on the couch part, please Jesus.)

It was also the absolute opposite of another touchstone that is in my life. When I was 25, a co-worker had a side hustle writing career biographies for a textbook company. I was “small-city journalist” for one edition. As I have moved through adulthood, I’ve kept a copy handy. I can see what I looked, lived and worked like, down to exactly what I ate for lunch. (The latter is a reminder that I had no money and that there’s a reason I weigh 15 pounds more now.)

More interesting, however, are my comments about why I wanted to stay at a medium-sized newspaper even though I was within commuting distance of Chicago, my commitment to living near family and my hopes to marry and have children even if it meant major adjustments to my career.

At 25, that’s what I hoped for and my day-to-day actions followed suit. There have been some detours and surprises along the way, but at way more than 25, that’s exactly what I’ve got. So, it stands to reason that if the groovy grammy is what I’m hoping for and pointing my actions toward, that may very well be what God has in store.

It’s a truth I’ve lived long enough to learn: What you wish for is often what you get. So, my e-friends, I can’t help asking: Are you pointed where you want to go? Truly? If you’re not, don’t do something crazy like walk out on your family, but do make a GPS-style maneuver and recalculate your path. Even if you are smack in the middle of a degree program. Even if you are in the middle of a career that pays out the wazoo.

Even if — make that especially if — your final hope is anything less than God’s glorious heaven. All the other choices of life aside, if there’s breath, it’s still not too late to recalculate that path!

Published by JOY journal

After a long career writing for local newspapers — and, on rare occasions, for publications such as The Washington Post — Nora's word life is now focused on blogging and occasional writing projects of special interest. Also the author of several books, Nora lives in Appalachia with her husband and a goodish dog named Finn, who is delighted whenever the family's two adult daughters are home from college.

19 thoughts on “Be careful what you wish”

  1. Thanks for this read! We’re make school changes this year…my boy, who has always been homeschooled will go to public school (4th grade) this year…he seems excited…the whole thing feels bittersweet to me—but I’m hopeful we’re on the right path and in the center of God’s will!!

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    1. Weird. I tried to respond but it disappeared… Anyway, blessings on your transition. It has seemed to me that whenever new room opens up in our family life, God fills it in unexpected and good ways. So, be on the lookout! God is able to be God — here at home, there at school and everywhere else! 🙂

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    2. Thought about this one again in the wee hours of the morning. God is good. And, because He’s good, I think He really does answer a lot of specific hopes that believers have, particularly when their actions move them toward those hopes. But, even when He doesn’t bring something to pass, when life takes the unexpected turns and drops that every life does, He’s still good and still working toward that “expected end” mentioned in Jeremiah. We can’t look at one, short-term (in light of eternity) outcome and panic that God has let go of the wheel. Well, we can (and usually do…), but we shouldn’t. 🙂 Heaven is the best hope!! Blessings!!

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  6. Loved this post, you certainly look capable of becoming a groovy granny, I hope that’s what I am someday as well. As far as being on God’s path, I can only hope and pray that I am! I truly try to help people in whatever ways I can. I wish His plan would have been for me to be in all of my grandkid’s life, but alas, not so. I miss them so much, but maybe I have more to come, or I’m to make do with the surrogate grandkids available to me right now. It’s hard to say. Anyway, I regress. Congrats on your blog and keep the positive vibes coming!

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    1. Thanks, Kim! (I’m not stalking you — I was clearing the comment deck and yours popped up so fast it made me jump!) American families sure do get spread out all over the place. It’s hard to keep the ties strong — but we love it when surrogate grandparents come along for our kids. I figure the kids in your daily life love you, too.

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  7. Great Post. It is so easy to get stuck on one path and think that path is all life has to offer with no chance of changing course, especially once you are settled with a family. This is a great reminder to take time to think about life and what you really wish for and to take some action to change direction if you wish to do so. This was an inspirational read. Thanks.

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