I Wish

by Brenda Dedmon

“We all have the power to make wishes come true as long as we keep believing.”—Louisa

May Alcott

Have you ever said to your parents or teachers: I wish I would get an A on this test or I wish I could be a starter on the team? It is good to have wishes about what we want, however, only wishing will not make them happen. The following activities will be a way to help you accomplish your wishes and turn them into achievable goals for you to reach.

It is very important that you ask your parents to help you with these ideas so that you can begin making your wishes happen. Tell your parents that you would like to have family time to talk about the things that you “wish” you could do.

For the family time, have paper and markers to record your ideas. Talk with your parents about what is important to you, for example: sports, dance, school, friends, family, or any ideas in which you are interested. Write down in order of which is the most important to you and what you “wish” you could do in each area.

As you think about these wishes, discuss with your parents what you can do to help make those wishes become real. Remember, this may require you to do things to turn that wish into reality. If you wish you could be in the spelling bee at school, then you will have to set goals. It would be necessary for you to learn ways that you can learn to be a good speller. You would need to decide how much you were willing to study and spend the time to make sure you were prepared for the spelling bee.

As you continue to work through your list, remember that there is more than one way to make a wish come true. You can make a list of things that you feel would help you reach your goal and a list of things that you feel may make it impossible to reach. Invite your parents to give you suggestions about the things that are most important to you so that you can make your wishes come true. You may choose to invite your teachers at school and church to give you ideas in reaching your goals.

One of the most important things you need to remember in making your wishes come true is that God has a plan for you. I would suggest you learn these verses to help you remember God will take care of you and help to make your wishes come true.

“I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hoped for” (Jeremiah 29:11, MSG).

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4, RSV).

“May He grant the dreams of your heart and see your plans through to the end” (Psalm 20:4, The Voice).

Written by Rev. Brenda Dedmon, retired director of Children’s Learning Center, First Baptist of Dalton and an avid Roll Tide fan.