Today is Kaitlynn’s birthday. She turns 18 today. Our granddaughter Kennedy reached that milestone several weeks ago. It’s definitely a landmark age. It signals the beginning of adulthood, at least in the legal eyes of most states in the union. It’s a crossroads of sorts for most young people. Just graduating high school, they begin to shape their futures.

The question is posed to them from childhood: What do you want to be when you grow up? When you turn 18, the rubber meets the road. Do you take a year off from school, get a job, and try to “find yourself”? Or do you continue on with your education at college?

Kaitlynn and Kennedy, it certainly matters what decision you make, but it’s not the most important decision you will make. Since God can redeem any situation and use it for His glory, He is more concerned about molding and shaping me and you into someone who resembles His Son. As you and I have heard before, He is more concerned about our character than our comfort.

God is not as concerned with what you decide to do with the rest of your life as He is with what you become. That is the most important issue. The rest will take care of itself.

Working in construction or in fashion… digging ditches or serving on city council… teaching children or conducting an orchestra… through trials and storms… through times of overwhelming blessing… He wants us more Christ-like. That is His goal, plain and simple.

If and when He accomplishes that in our lives (and He will), He will be glorified in the process.

So the question is: What am I becoming?

It’s a good question to ponder, whether we’re turning 18 or 78.