I’ve never been a big dreamer. Most of my life when I heard the word “dream” I thought of the type of dream you have while you’re asleep at night…with sugar plums dancing in your head, right?
But over the past few years, I’ve been thinking more about the other kind of dream. It’s the dream you think of during the day sitting at the stop light, or while you’re making dinner or especially while you’re doing something and wish you were doing something different instead.
God created dreaming. Did he ingrain that inside of us when we were first created? Sometimes though we cover over those dreams with busyness, doubt or just downright ignoring them.
The Bible is filled with people who had dreams. For example, Paul tells the Romans “his dream is to preach the gospel in places no one has ever heard of Jesus.” (Romans 15:20). Wow, what a huge dream! God manifested Paul’s dream a huge way! And Paul probably didn’t even know his passion to disciple, teach, lead and write would become God’s Word and spread throughout the entire world for eternity while he was ministering on this side of heaven.
Do you have dreams? What are they? What are your passions? Everybody has them! They are gifts.
I have a dream to be a writer and a passion to help others (especially older adults) write their stories. I have a dream that what I write (on a blog) can minister to someone and bring reminders and encouragement. I want to promote other ministries that’ll help increase God’s Kingdom. Some are older and some are newer dreams.
Being honest here, lately these questions have been surfacing…What if your dream isn’t what God’s desire is for you? What if you think you know what it is, but it’s not what God has in mind? Or maybe it’s just not the right timing.
We need to remind ourselves over and over to trust God and he’ll reveal those dreams, desires, passions, and even his plan to us. But in order to hear them, we must listen. We must make time to be still and listen. It’s a challenge for sure especially when the questions of doubt or confusion can start to suffocate that dream. The questions of “should I?”, “am I?”, “what if?”, “what do I do?”, “now?”, “later?”, and “what could it be?” can overshadow that dream.
But remember…“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
“Delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)
(Thank the Lord for His promises!)
And… continue to, “Give thanks always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
So, I’ll keep dreaming, listening and giving thanks…
…and this past week I’ve been thankful for:
#1067 A listening God who keeps his promises
#1068 dreams
#1069 a beautiful day to give thanks with family on Thanksgiving
#1070 the little fuzzies floating all around in the air that made it look like snow on Thanksgiving
#1071 the kids having fun running through all the little fuzzies
#1072 Thanksgiving having a whole new meaning this year
#1073 my grandmother’s recipe of potato salad
#1074 warm apple pie topped with melting vanilla ice cream
#1075 mom and sister who listen and pray and encourage
#1076 watching a hawk with my nephew
#1077 watching our kids and nieces and nephews play the game “Sardines” and riding scooters and rip sticks together
#1078 Daddy Mac grilling burgers and Gran’s homemade French fries!
#1079 taking boxes out of the attic filled with Christmas decorations
#1080 setting out the nativity scene