“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” Luke 14:28 NIV
I was listening to someone talk on NPR about the old phrase “you can do anything you set your mind to.”
It was the parenting mantra for the last century and the speaker was railing against it saying it just wasn’t true. He used the example that if his 5’1″ son came to him and told him it was his life’s goal to be in the NBA, he just couldn’t.
I have thought a lot about that. What will I tell my children?
After a hard year or two of losing my dreams I have decided on what I will tell my children, and myself . . . every day.
You can do anything, but you can’t do it all.
If my son were to tell me it was his life’s dream to be in the NBA, I think I would have to say, “Okay honey,” (I call all my kids honey and they call their baby dolls honey) “but you must know, you will sacrifice a lot. You will have to practice for hours every day. You won’t have the social life of your friends; your time will be spent on the court. As you grow older, you won’t have the lifestyle of the traditional family you were raised in. You will travel more weeks of the year than not. You can dream anything you want, but please count the cost.”
I have realized recently, that of all the dreams I’ve had for my life, I don’t think any of them were based in reality. None of them accounted for the fact that I only have 24 hours in any given day to work with. Every day.
I dream of being an amazing, hands-on mom, a great entertainer/hostess, a minister, a writer, the list could go on. I have no shortage of dreams!
And, I can accomplish any of these I want.
But, I can’t do them all!
Each season of life offers us time for certain dreams.
At this season, I have the opportunity that will not come at any other time in my life to invest in three precious little ones who will grow up and reach for their dreams.
I will have time for the other dreams.
Someday I will host people in my home and feed them something other than peanut butter and jelly.
But not right now. I can’t do it all!
To be the mom I desire to be, to have my right-now dream, I must sacrifice other dreams.
It’s a real sacrifice, but worth the cost!
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by Myquillyn Smith. Join us in our private Facebook group to discuss.
About Sarah Parham
My name is Sarah Parham. I’m a Georgia girl who has made Kentucky my home. I am a wife and mom of 3, and I work for a campus ministry. My greatest passion is to inspire people to live for the Glory of God. The one in whose image we are all created. Occasionally I blog at sarahparham.com. Come visit sometime!
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