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I’m a planner, that’s my happy place. I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I make a list and check it off. I majored in Accounting at Baylor University, stayed the course, and graduated with a degree exactly four years later. I checked off all my boxes.
Then I had children, and that’s when I discovered I could make as many lists as I wanted. But that didn’t mean my kids would check all the boxes as complete.
I wanted the boys to think and pray about their future careers and make plans for them. Doesn’t every parent? Let’s face it—when you’re the child of a planner you have no choice. My kids would make plans for their future.
When each of my kids was sixteen, I had them pick a career and research it. Nathan chose law enforcement, so we interviewed a member of the Longview police force. My son presented a list of questions and carefully wrote down the answers. He had every intention of becoming a police officer. Yet, despite all my planning, Nathan changed his mind. He joined the Texas National Guard at seventeen, and majored in economics at Stephen F. Austin State University. A year’s deployment and a semester off for sergeant school, and he finally graduated. In the middle of all that, he accepted a full-time position with the Guard. He’s not using his economics degree with his job, but he really enjoys his work and was recently promoted to E7. He accepted a transfer to the National Guard headquarters in Austin, Texas so he and Kat will be moving soon. How soon? Any time between February and October—that’s the military for you.
Cameron chose graphic arts and interviewed a designer. He did complete his graphic arts degree from Texas State University, but he’s a full-time missionary on the college campus. He’s decided his calling is the ministry, although he’s not sure if he’ll continue working with college students. His church has mentioned a ministry opportunity that might be a good fit, and he would go back to college to receive education for that career.
All this to say that, despite all my planning and preparing, God had His plan ready and waiting. As a planner, this has been really hard for me. But as a mom, it has brought me great joy watching my children thrive in the careers God has placed them. Now I laugh when parents tell me all the plans they have for their children—they’ll be doctors or firefighters or professional football players. I don’t laugh out loud, mind you. I just smile and say, “That’s a great plan.” Because I know, from experience, that our plans aren’t the ones that really count.
Jann Goar Franklin graduated Russellville High School in 1985 and lives in Grand Cane, Louisiana. She also writes books, which are for sale at www.jannfranklin.com. You can reach her at jann@jannfranklin.com