The house was finally quiet now as Annie sipped her morning coffee and collected her thoughts. She was trying hopelessly to force herself to think about the laundry that was staring at her from the laundry room or the beds that were screaming to be made. All she really wanted to do was cry. She was not sure exactly why she cried, but nevertheless, the tears kept falling. She had just had a conversation with her eighteen-year-old daughter. It was March and graduation was around the corner. Janet was concerned about her life. What did she want to do? Today was career day at school and all the colleges would be there, along with each branch of the military. Each one would be trying to entice all the young people into making snap decisions as to what to do with their lives. Janet had not seemed concerned about it until recently. Now all of a sudden, she had to "become something." Heaven forbid she just be!
The whole thing had gotten Annie to thinking. What had she done with her life? She had never had as much desire to make something of herself as some of her classmates had. She had dreams of being all the things that all other little children had, but when she grew up, her only dreams were to be a wife and mother. That was all that she was, just a wife and a mother. Tears were falling like rain now. "Lord, I guess I'm just a failure. What is wrong with me? Why did I not do something with my life? What is my purpose?" Somehow she must have missed God's will for her life. Surely she had something she was supposed to be doing for God, for her family, or for herself. Well, whatever it was, it was too late now. "I am sure God has gotten someone else to do the job I was supposed to be doing," she thought to herself. Having had enough of feeling sorry for herself, Annie forced herself up, wiped her tears, and got busy with her day. As she worked, cleaned, cooked, and baked, her heart was heavy. "Where is my song, my joy?" she wondered. All of this heaviness came from one little question: "What is my purpose?" Not only had she been a failure in her own life, her only desire for her children was to be the same nothing. It never mattered to her if they were rich or famous or if they had big careers. Her only goal was to raise them to become God-fearers: men and women who loved and followed God and sought
His will. Maybe she should have tried harder, prayed harder, or something.
About that time, the oven timer sounded and brought Annie back to reality. It was three-fifteen and Janet would be getting home in just a few minutes. She had to prepare her after-school snack, the same as she had done every day since her first child had come in from his first day of kindergarten. They had always sat down together with a snack and discussed the events of their day.
Now, here it was, almost time for her last little bird to leave the nest. Time was precious. Annie began to wonder if she had done her job right. Had she prepared her child for the world? Did she know all she would need to get along? She had gone through this with each of her children, and they had all turned out fine. This time was different. The older children had seemed to have some direction, but Janet marched to the beat of a different drum. She had no idea what she wanted to be or where she wanted to go with her life.
Annie's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car in the drive. There was her little bird now. Janet came in the door carrying an armload of stuff from career day. Eager to show her mom everything and discuss her plans, she sat down with a cookie and a glass of milk. She showed her mom all the stuff and told her about all the offers she had from everyone, including the Military. "You know, Mom, I have been thinking. I do not think I will be needing any of this."
"What do you mean?" Annie replied.<
"I think I know what I want to do with my life. I want to be a Godly wife and mother. I want to have these little talks with my kids like you have done with all of us. I want to sing them to sleep at night and to tell them Bible stories. I want to marry a Godly man, like Dad - a man who works hard for his family, takes them to church, and prays with them every night. I want to love him the way you love Dad. I want to hear him pray and cry for others. But most of all, I want to be a gentle woman like you. I know now how important your purpose is in life, to see that your children love God and others. Can you teach me to be that kind of person?"
Annie's tears were flowing again, but these were happy tears. "Thank you, Lord," she whispered, as she hugged her daughter tight. "Maybe, just maybe," she thought aloud, "I have not failed."
"What did you say, Mom? Who failed?"
"No one, dear, no one," Annie answered.
Could God's plan for her have been so simple? Could she have been in His will all this time? She did have a purpose after all.
No matter what career paths we have chosen, God's ultimate purpose for His children is to strive to be like their Father: put Him first, obey His commands, and all the rest will fall into place. Proverbs 3:6 says, 'In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.'
- Kate Fuqua