Namely, I want you to know what I want for you.
However, unlike Selina here, I won't "tell you lies." (While we're talking about Selina though, how many times do you think she fell over filming this video? I mean anyone who flips their head around THAT much, with THAT much hair couldn't have had very good balance..... also, why does she change her outfit three times for one night out clubbing? Does she spill drinks on herself? Sweat through her other clothes? [ew!] Is she THAT indecisive? Sorry.... I digress...)
So it's graduation season. None of my Godchildren are graduating this year, unless you count G-man graduating to the rank of Big Brother and being squarely in the "eating solid food" camp.... but I think we all know a few people who have put on that ridiculous Mortar Board hat and walked to Pomp and Circumstance (Does it get stuck in your heads too?).
Graduating is great. It's an accomplishment. It is something to be proud of. It also usually gets everyone talking about the future. "What do YOU want to do when you graduate?" "What are YOU going to be when you grow up?" "What are YOU going to go to college for?" "How much money do you want to make?" "What career are you going to choose?" "PLAN YOUR WHOLE FUTURE RIGHT NOW!"
Guess what?
I will NEVER ask you these questions.
Ever.
Dear Godchildren, I am not the least bit interested in WHAT you want to be. What you want to DO.
I AM interested in WHO you want to become.
Is there a difference?
Absolutely.
See, you are up against a world that measures success by "accomplishment." A world that says power, money, prestige, and position define who you are and even define your worth. That power, position, money, social status, and material gain are what MATTER.
This is a lie.
A BIG FAT LIE.
Don't take this the wrong way, but I could honestly care less if you go to college. If you double major in political science and molecular biology. If you score a job with a huge company and your entry level position brings in six figures. If you own a yacht or fly in a corporate jet. I could care less if you discover a new planet, cure Zika, or win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Because if you aren't doing the Will of God, if you aren't, as JPII said, "Becoming who you ARE" then it doesn't matter. None of those things, by themselves will get you to Heaven. In fact, if being destitute, uneducated and dirty was going to get you to Heaven and all that stuff I just mentioned wasn't, then by golly I want you to be destitute, uneducated and dirty!
The world has it wrong.
It's not about stuff. It's not about accolades. It's not about what or how much you DO. If God has not called you to it, it's not worth it.
When John Paul II said "Become who you are" he wasn't being mysterious. He wasn't being coy.
He understood that when God made you, even before anyone else knew you existed, He knew what would make you the most happy - the most peaceful. This was the beginning of what He wants for you. Because in addition to knowing what would make you the most happy and peaceful, He also knew what the world would need. He knew the kind of person the WORLD would need you to be and to become. Did you get that? The WORLD needs you to "Become Who You Are." God made you for a reason. Firstly because He wants to love you. Forever. Secondly, because He wants you to be with Him in Heaven someday. Thirdly, because He knew the World would need you. But the world needs who He made you to be. And who He made you to be might not stack up with what the world THINKS you should be.
My Godchildren, I want you to "Become who you are." If that means going to college, go to college. If that means being the person who cures cancer, cure cancer. If it means becoming the Secretary General of the UN, I'll visit you in NYC. If it means becoming the best wife and mother you can be, I'll babysit for you when you need a night off. If that means selling everything you own and begging in the streets for the poor, then I'll help you advertise the yard sale. Become who you are.
There is something ONLY you can do. A purpose God has ONLY for you. Don't get weighed down and confused by the very loud noises this world makes. Listen to HIM. Ask HIM. And if you don't hear Him answer right away, that's OK! This world is noisy! It takes practice to learn how to tune it out of our minds and our hearts. Keep talking to Him. Keep praying. Keep listening. He will lead you. And while you are waiting on Him to show you who you are, pay attention to your passions. Your talents. Your gifts. He gave them to you for a reason. Not so you can get rich. Not so you can be famous, but because they are part of His plan. Part of what He wants for you and what will give you that happiness and peace. They are like clues God has given you. They will help you to know Him and they will help you to know yourself. And they will help you to change the world for Him.
So, my Godchildren. This is what I want you to know:
I want you to know that I already know without a doubt that God's plan for you - Who You Are and Who You Are to Become - is better, more exciting, and beyond what you could ever imagine. I promise.
I want you to know that all you have to do to Become Who You Are is to Trust Him. And if you don't Trust Him yet, ask Him to help you Trust Him.
I want you to know that I support you. That I will do everything I can to help you figure out and become who you are. (Whether that is quietly praying at home every day like I do now, or something else).
I want you to know that I love you.
And I want you to know that the world desperately needs who He made you to be.
Desperately.
And I am proud of you.
Love,
Your Fairy Godmother
