And that’s what we forget in all of our parental hustling. God. What might he want? And what if what he wants for our kids contradicts what we want for our kids? Who wins then? Maybe your kid will grow up to be a beautiful, well-read athlete with her choice of colleges to attend. Maybe. But maybe not. What then?

What if your kid never really does all that great in sports? While all of his friends are making diving catches and hitting home runs, the only action he sees is during practice. In right field. Where he likes to pick flowers and see how long he can stare at the sun before blinking. Oh, and that’s when he’s in the 11th grade. Would that be okay?

What if your kid never really gets it when it comes to reading? Suppose, on her best day, she’s somewhere around the middle of the pack in her class. And in the second grade, when all of her friends find out that they’re reading on a fifth grade level she has the number 2.1 under the reading comprehension column next to her name. Would that be okay?

What if your kid is never recognized for her exceptional good looks? It’s not that she’s ugly. She’s just not prom queen material. Or even prom date material. And so she misses out on the pictures, limo ride and good times that come along with that rite of passage. Would that be okay?

What if your kid just isn’t wired for college? When God knit him together, he was thinking more of trade school than the Ivy League. And so, when all of his friends are getting acceptance letters in the spring and moving away the next fall, he’s looking for a job that will work around his hours at the trade school where he’s learning how to weld. Would that be okay?

There’s a trend among parents these days. Maybe it’s always been the trend but I’m just noticing now that I’m a parent. We want our kids speaking two different languages by the age of six, dribbling a basketball with both hands by eight and talking to colleges in middle school. And here’s the thing about parents. At least the ones in this country. When we want something, especially something for our kids, we’re willing to pay for it. So we give some guy $75 a week to teach our three-year-old the Spanish word for bathroom. And we give another guy $100 a week to tie our four-year-old’s right hand behind his back so that he can dribble with his left hand. But don’t worry, it’s for their own good. They’ll thank us when they get that college scholarship.

No pressure, kid but here’s to hoping that God didn’t hardwire you to be a welder.

And that’s what we forget in all of our parental hustling. God. What might he want? And what if what he wants for our kids contradicts what we want for our kids? Who wins then?

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