Dream…
It’s something that we often do as children but we fail to do as adults. See, as kids, we have a child-like faith and nothing seems to be impossible. We tie our superman capes around our necks planning to save the world or wear our play ballerina shoes and dance around as if we are up on stage for the world to see. We think that God can do anything through us because we know that He has no limits. But then we start to grow up and we let the world creep in.
The world tries to whisper in our ears lists of doubts that make us start to wonder if anything is possible anymore. We start to hear that our dreams cost too much, there isn’t enough time, they are impossible, and we start to believe these lies. We become crippled, stuck, and our smiles and confidence turn upside down and are ripped to shreds. We pile on daily tasks dealing with things that do not necessarily have to be done and push back the things that God has put on our hearts to actually do.
Whenever I was a young girl it was so easy to dream. I would dream about becoming a Marine Biologist and getting to be with dolphins every day, becoming a ballerina, or traveling the world to reach every tribe and tongue for Jesus. But as I grew older it became harder and harder to dream. Life happened and those dreams got pushed further and further down into my soul. Then something terrible happened, I stopped dreaming altogether.
Now, I am not saying that life happening was a bad thing. Life for me changed when I met the love of my life and became a wife. Then our family quickly grew in the form of two amazingly handsome, energetic boys and I became a mom. Life just got busy and full of diapers, job duties, cleaning the house, taking care of bills, and all of you married people and parents out there know…the list just keeps growing and never stops. Then we stop dreaming. Whenever we stop dreaming it makes us angry, irritable, and empty.
I don’t know if you have ever been in this position in your life but I definitely have. Unfortunately, my husband and many others got a front seat to my complete meltdown. About three years ago I was irritable, angry, and empty. I realized that I quit dreaming for God to use me in my life. I was just stuck. I loved my husband, my kids, and my life but I wasn’t happy with myself. I wasn’t happy with the position I found myself in. I was just stagnant, not using any of my gifts or talents for the Lord.
But then I went to a Christian conference in February of 2015 called Velocity and the Lord had me meet Xulon Press through a book-writing seminar. I met with a man named Donald and my world was opened up. The veil was lifted from my eyes and I was able to dream again. I was able to see my God bigger than my daily tasks, my shortcomings, and all of my doubts. Just a year ago I was a woman filled with anxiety, panic attacks, irrational fears, doubts, and excuses. Today, I find myself a published author.
Now, I am not saying that I have it all together or all figured out. I still have my doubts, am filled with anxiety sometimes, have panic attacks, irrational fears, and excuses at times…BUT GOD!!! He intervenes in my life on a daily basis and reminds me that I am His. He is my father. He is my strength. I can lean on Him to help me do all that He has called me to do in the midst of daily chaos. He can do more than I can ever imagine if I just continue to surrender my brokenness, my shortcomings to Him. He is so amazing and He surprises me daily. Yes, I am still a wife, still a mom, and still human with plenty of struggles. But I am dreaming again and it feels fantastic!
So, how about you friend, what did you use to dream about that the world has snatched out of your hands? How did you use to view God and all that He can do through you and how do you view Him now? Have you been told that your dreams cost too much, that God can’t use a person like you, or that life is just too busy? All of those are lies from the enemy! God can do anything through you if you surrender everything to Him…TRUST ME! So, I leave you with this challenge given to us by the great artist Aero Smith, “DREAM ON!”
Ephesians 3: 20, “Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we can ask or think according to the power that works in us—“ (HCSB)
