Along for the Ride

It's so fun to observe the wheels turning in our kids' heads sometimes, and to hear the words that spill out as a result. Our son Owen often does his best thinking right at bedtime (can you say procrastination, ha!) Recently he asked about the language spoken by the tribe in Sudan which is his heritage through his birthmother. We believe it is the Dinka tribe, whose language is also called Dinka.

"I need to learn how to talk like that," he announced. "I need to learn Dinka."

We discussed how great that would be and how someday he could go to Sudan for himself, maybe as a missionary.

"I'm going to go there," he decided. "But then I have to go to college. And then win a gold medal. And then I will go back to Sudan. And then win another gold medal ..." His plans stretched out before him, bold and ambitious.

Pride, excitement, fear and awe mingle when I think of what our kids might actually do by God's grace and leading someday. Be a missionary to Sudan? Win a gold medal? Only God knows. We're just along for the ride!