I Want Them to Say...

(c) Staci Stallings, 2005

The other night I got to talk extensively with one of my favorite Holy Spirit friends-my sister. Since we both have families to keep up with now, that doesn't happen as often as it used to, so we really took advantage of this time. Late into the night we talked about what God is doing in our lives and about how He has recently been bringing up places in each of us that need to be healed.

As we talked, she said, "You know, ever since I was first married, I had one goal. I wanted to be the best mom to my kids. I wanted them to say when they were grown up, 'We had the best Mom. She was so great.'" On the whole not a bad dream. I think many of us moms think exactly the same thing.

However, she didn't stop there. She said, "Now I see how that dream is about me. It's about what I want to hear because I want to have earned that. Then they other day, I realized that I don't care if they ever say that about me. What I want them to say more than anything is: 'We have the best God ever! He is so great!' Now I think if they say that when they get older, I will have done my job."

Wow. I was blown away. Not just for her, but for me.

You see, the business of writing often starts as a desire just to write. You just love to write, and so you do. Then you get a little better and a little better, and pretty soon, you begin to sense that "just writing" is not enough. Now, you want to be published. So, you begin to learn the rules of publishing, and you work, and you hone, and you learn. And pretty soon, a new goal creeps into your soul. "I want to touch a lot of people with my words about God. I want not just to be published, but to be thought of by many as a great writer."

After our conversation, I see that for what it is... having your focus on the WRONG GOAL. It's like my eighth grade girls' basketball team. It was our second game of the year. The first half went by, we went to the locker room, came back out, and were ready to start the second half. Now if you don't know, when you start the second half, the teams switch ends of the court.

They tipped off, our girl got it and proceed to dribble to the other team's goal where she made the shot! Her technique was great, her shot flawless, but the problem was, she was shooting at the wrong goal!

I wonder how many of us want to be the best... the best fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, friends, writers, accountants, salespeople, workers... And yet, we are shooting at the wrong goal.

In the last 24-hours my life goal has changed. I no longer want everyone to think I'm the best writer. If somehow, they see through my writing that He is the best God ever, and their lives begin to reflect that, then I have accomplished the new goal for my life.

How about you? Are you shooting at the wrong goal-wanting to be the best salesperson, counselor, or teacher? Maybe God is asking that you start being those things in a way that points people to the best God ever. You do that, whatever else you do, you will be successful.

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Say a prayer, light a candle. http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=cwby Staci's virtual vigil for "Cowboy" as it goes through the semi-finals. I ask anyone who feels so led to light a candle and say a prayer that "Cowboy" will touch all those who come in contact with it with God's deep and abiding love for them. The Kairos Prize for Uplifting Screenplays will be awarded Feb. 20. Any and all prayers are greatly appreciated!