"I'm going to be a veterinarian," my nine-year-old granddaughter states happily.

Her confidence contrasts with my own often-asked question, "What will I be when I grow up?" Sometimes I am unsure of God's plans for my life.

No matter what the juncture of our lives, whether it is pondering a vocation or wondering whether or not the Lord can still accomplish anything with our protesting bodies, we are not always confident of our own abilities or of God's plan. Maintaining a balance between the tension of who we think we have been created to be and our perceived limitations and fears presents a challenge.

Knowing who we are created to be is not necessarily related to age. One of my favorite pictures of my son was taken when he was about three years old, dressed in his father's hat and shoes, big black lunch pail grasped in his hand. He was pretending to be like dad. Dad's clothes were much too big, yet the desire to be like him was strong.

God's plans for our lives also include a set of "new clothes"-the transformation that takes place in us as we grow to be more like Christ (Romans 8:29). Our new "clothes" don't quite fit now; we are not yet what we shall become, but the heart desire to be like Him is there.

Whatever our age, we are faced with the constant challenge of growing up, becoming more like our Father in whose image we were created. Like the many seasons of our lives, growth comes in cycles, through difficult decisions, painful losses, trial and error, repentance and forgiveness. At each stage we can place our lives in our loving Creator's hands and hear His promise: I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

There is nothing in our lives that surprises Him. On days when we may not know who we are or the purposes of our lives, we can take comfort in remembering He always knows. We are fashioned by God's hands. We are gifted to bring delight to Him and blessing to others. The Holy Spirit is faithfully working in us so that someday our new "clothes" will fit perfectly. God promises: When He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is (1 John 3:2). Until then, if we are fed and nourished with His Word and Sacrament and surrounded with encouragers on our journey, we are becoming what He has intended us to be, growing closer to His likeness.

To continued growth!