We were driving home from their cousins house, and the chatter was like a hundred geese trapped in a minivan. Finally I decided to bring a little order to the chaotic excitement by asking what they did all night at the sleepover. Silence. One of them speaks up, “Well, we watched a movie.” Good, I can use that to continue a conversation. What movie was it? What was your favorite part?
“Ehhh, I can’t remember.” I was momentarily discouraged, until they picked up the ball and ran with it themselves. “Hey dad, do you know what my hobby is?” I smiled, and said I’d love to know. “Ballet!”, she said with a huge grin. Her younger sister felt left out, and joined in, “Guess what mine is dad?” She’s 5 years old, going on 16 sometimes. I smiled at her in the rearview mirror, asking what hers was. I was pretty sure hers would be ballet too.
“Worshiping God.”
I was too excited to know how to respond. My words were probably something blended between telling her how excited I was to hear what she just said, and talking to her sister about how dancing ballet IS worshiping God also. We started making a list of all the ways we can worship God. It was one of those van rides home that make you want to take the long way.
Every once in a while, I wonder what they will do when they’re older. Will they become teachers, like their mommy? Will they be 
missionaries, or pastors? Will they be professional ballet dancers? Will they pursue mommy-hood above career? Will they open a bakery, become a painter, or work at a zoo?
A while back, we asked our oldest daughter what she thought she might wanna do when she was a “grown up”. Her answer didn’t require a whole lot of deliberation. “I’m going to be an animal doctor, and I’m going to adopt a girl from China.” Whoa. Now I’m not sure what I would’ve said as a 6 year old, (although 1987 is when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came out….so possibly “Michelangelo”) but I don’t think I had the perspective and “world-view” our daughter has already grown.
So will she end up being a veterinarian, and adopting from China? Who knows. But the fact that God’s heart for the fatherless is already becoming a part of her heart – makes a dad proud. Conversations like these make me feel like, whatever God has in store for them, these girls are definitely precious to the Kingdom. I look forward to a life of helping them discover how God has uniquely sculpted their hearts and minds….
words from wick 