"A Future and a Hope"

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the  Lord , thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV)

The past few weeks have been very busy. Thus a long gap between posts. We have had the privilege of hosting partners and friends from the U.S. who have come to see how God is working through us in India and to minister to our staff and children in our care. This past week contained a couple stories special to this chemical-engineer-by-training and teacher-at-heart. This post is just one of those stories, but stay tuned in the coming days to hear the other.

We often ask our girls what they want to be when they grow up. It is fun to watch how they determine what they want to be, as well as how those things change (or don't change) over time. One of our girls continues to want to be a police officer year after year, and I believe she will be one day! Some of our girls have expressed that they want to be teachers, and in reply two of our littlest have expressed that they desire to be principals. I chuckled out loud to see that interaction. Sort of a "you may have seniority now, but one day I'll be your boss!" I have no doubt that at least one of these little ones will one day be principal and "rule the roost." And one of the sweetest responses which comes primarily from our youngest girls is simply to be a "servant of God." I have yet to determine if in their minds this means that they do not know what profession they will follow, that they want to be in vocational ministry, or something else...but whatever is behind that response, it is sweet to hear.

For the first time, many of our girls are expressing interest in becoming engineers, and those numbers continue to grow. Many of these girls come from a place where basic education was in question and their concept of a future was extremely limited, if not unfathomable. It is so great to see these children begin to grasp that there is no limit to what God can and will do through them, including what education or career to which He may call them. In addition, it is such a blessing to see them excelling in the scholastic subjects in which they are gifted such that those dreams may be achieved.

One of our middle school girls has continued to be the only one to say "I don't know" when asked what she wants to be when she grows up. I have been paying special attention, looking forward to seeing her little mind at work in the day that she first expresses what she may want to pursue, even though at that age it is likely to change. Well, this week was it, and what a blessing to hear her soft voice speak these words: "chemical engineer," as she shyly stole an almost imperceivable glance at me. Man, I felt like a million bucks.

What makes this perhaps even more precious to me is that she probably has a very limited idea as to what a chemical engineer does or what a person must do to train for that profession. And this child might not have even heard of chemical engineering until it became known to all of our girls that I was one. But with the combination of seeing her older sisters setting their sites on their own engineering goals (of a different discipline) and knowing my educational and work experience, this special girl felt confident to whisper the fragile initial dream to become a chemical engineer. That's all that it was...a whisper...perhaps to be swept away by God's true calling in her life, or perhaps to be strengthened into a shout. But whatever God's will, it is my blessing to watch Him work in her life, to watch her formulate her first career dreams, and of course to feel honored by her choosing my own initial career path. I had just told a friend that I'm waiting for the day that one of our girls first says "chemical engineer" as her career dream and that would be a special day. Well, that special day came that same week.

Perhaps you will join me in praying for each of these precious girls, their career dreams, and direction from God along His paths. May the God of all grace grant us all the boldness to dream, the means to achieve, and the direction to walk in His perfect will. Amen.