I am a dreamer. I always have been and I always will be. 15+ years ago, I was a blonde-haired, green eyed Princess who happened to also be the most elegant ballerina to grace any stage, the Figure Skater with multiple Gold medals hanging around her neck, the next van Gogh, AND I happened to be all of these while simultaneously gracing the world (well, my home) with my incredible vocal skills. Okay.. maybe all of that was in my head. I saw myself as all of those things. (I am pretty sure my brothers would disagree..) I Dreamed I could, so I made it happen. I floated through life on the wings of my dreams. |
I am now 20 years old, my hair has changed from blonde to brown, YET I still float through life on the wings of my dreams. It is in my genetic makeup. I cannot NOT dream. While my dreams may not be of graceful ballerinas or captivating artwork, I still have hopes. I still imagine. I still DREAM...
but the world has given me a new level to dreaming: FEAR.
I think. I plan. I hope. But.....
I fear. I doubt. I question the purpose of dreaming.
Actually, if I am completely honest with you, my life seems to be a mental battle between 2 voices.
Voice #1 says, "No. That would never happen. Think realistically. That's a stupid dream. Just move on and don't look back.."
But then I hear a 2nd voice that whispers, "Keep dreaming."
That's All. Nothing more, nothing less. Just, "Keep dreaming."
No reason why... just a desperate whisper to not lose heart.
Now, I'm going to be completely vulnerable here.. Both voices scare me to death. Why?
The 1st voice scares me because I know that a life without dreams is sad, desperate, and dark.
Yet the 2nd voice scares me because one of my greatest fears is disappointment.
but the world has given me a new level to dreaming: FEAR.
I think. I plan. I hope. But.....
I fear. I doubt. I question the purpose of dreaming.
Actually, if I am completely honest with you, my life seems to be a mental battle between 2 voices.
Voice #1 says, "No. That would never happen. Think realistically. That's a stupid dream. Just move on and don't look back.."
But then I hear a 2nd voice that whispers, "Keep dreaming."
That's All. Nothing more, nothing less. Just, "Keep dreaming."
No reason why... just a desperate whisper to not lose heart.
Now, I'm going to be completely vulnerable here.. Both voices scare me to death. Why?
The 1st voice scares me because I know that a life without dreams is sad, desperate, and dark.
Yet the 2nd voice scares me because one of my greatest fears is disappointment.
And sometimes, my dreams are molded into something so much greater than what I begin with.. | Sometimes my dreams don't fulfill God's purpose for my life and they get thrown off into the grass as I follow after Him. I am okay with that, but after cultivating a dream for a while, it hurts to have it die. Sometimes, I fear being disappointed with the outcome of my dream. What if it's not what I imagined? What if I don't have a purpose after the dream has been fulfilled? And sometimes, my dreams are molded into something so much greater than what I begin with.. but that is all God. |
The molding of a new dream is not always an easy thing to experience. It often involves the end of an old dream... and it involves the fear of a piece of us dying. We invest our entire hearts into dreaming, so when the dream is no longer our dream or when it seems as if a dream has died, it feels like a piece of our hearts have died with it.
I truly believe this is why we often find it difficult to hand our dreams over to God. Letting go of our dreams means entrusting a precious gift to someone else. We become fearful of not having the dream anymore.
The most accurate way for me to explain this process to you is through Disney's Tangled.
In the movie, Rapunzel dreams of finally seeing mysterious lights that rise in the night sky each year. Once the dream begins to come true, she becomes sad and pensive. When asked by Flynn Ryder what is wrong, Rapunzel explains,
"I've been looking out of a window for 18 years, dreaming of what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not anything I've dreamed it would be?"
That line gets me every time. I have known much uncertainty in handing over my dreams and seeing dreams unfold. It's just as scary as it is exciting. It's not easy to see a dream end in any way. I know that. And I believe you know that, too.
I truly believe this is why we often find it difficult to hand our dreams over to God. Letting go of our dreams means entrusting a precious gift to someone else. We become fearful of not having the dream anymore.
The most accurate way for me to explain this process to you is through Disney's Tangled.
In the movie, Rapunzel dreams of finally seeing mysterious lights that rise in the night sky each year. Once the dream begins to come true, she becomes sad and pensive. When asked by Flynn Ryder what is wrong, Rapunzel explains,
"I've been looking out of a window for 18 years, dreaming of what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not anything I've dreamed it would be?"
That line gets me every time. I have known much uncertainty in handing over my dreams and seeing dreams unfold. It's just as scary as it is exciting. It's not easy to see a dream end in any way. I know that. And I believe you know that, too.
While I relate to Rapunzel's fear all to well, the most beautiful word picture Disney has ever painted follows in the next 3 lines between Rapunzel and Flynn: | "Well, that's the good part. You get to go find a new dream." |
Flynn (in response to her fear): "It will be."
Rapunzel: "And what if it is? What do I do then?"
Flynn: "Well, that's the good part, I guess. You get to go find a new dream."
A NEW DREAM. You get to go find a new dream. Breathe that thought in for a minute.
Friend, I promise you one thing: The new dream is so much greater than the pain of letting go.
A caterpillar dreams of growing and eating and growing. Day in and day out it chases after that dream. Yet we all know that the caterpillar has something greater coming to it.
One day, it wakes up as a new creature. One day, it flies with the wings of a new dream.
I picture our lives much like the caterpillar. We dream small dreams because we forget that God is capable of so much more. But one day, because of the Grace of God, we wake up to find that He places new dreams in our lives.
THESE NEW DREAMS ARE FAR MORE THAN WE COULD ASK OR IMAGINE.
Rapunzel: "And what if it is? What do I do then?"
Flynn: "Well, that's the good part, I guess. You get to go find a new dream."
A NEW DREAM. You get to go find a new dream. Breathe that thought in for a minute.
Friend, I promise you one thing: The new dream is so much greater than the pain of letting go.
A caterpillar dreams of growing and eating and growing. Day in and day out it chases after that dream. Yet we all know that the caterpillar has something greater coming to it.
One day, it wakes up as a new creature. One day, it flies with the wings of a new dream.
I picture our lives much like the caterpillar. We dream small dreams because we forget that God is capable of so much more. But one day, because of the Grace of God, we wake up to find that He places new dreams in our lives.
THESE NEW DREAMS ARE FAR MORE THAN WE COULD ASK OR IMAGINE.
In her book, God Has a Dream For Your Life, Sheila walsh explains that "It's a risky business to dream, for dreaming leaves us open to disappointment. But I think that when we stop dreaming a part of us dies. SO I say it's time to dream again - and know thing that with God nothing is impossible, DREAM BIG!" Wow. DREAM BIG. For with God, nothing is impossible. | "It's a risky business to dream, for dreaming leaves us open to disappointment. But I think that when we stop dreaming, a part of us dies. SO I say it's time to dream again-and knowing that with God nothing is impossible, dream big!" |
I believe that God wants us to DREAM. I believe that God wants us to FLY. I believe that God wants us to LIVE and to LIVE TO THE FULLEST.
Dreaming is scary.
Dreaming with God is freeing.
Dreaming with God is exciting.
Dreaming with God is trusting.
Dreaming with God is hoping.
Dreaming with god is beautiful.
Dreaming with God is NEW.
So, trust Him. Breathe in His presence. Bask in His love.
And DREAM BIG, dear friend. Dream so big that the world thinks you are crazy.
For nothing is impossible with God.
Sources Cited:
Walsh, Sheila. God Has a Dream For Your Life. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2006. Print
Dreaming is scary.
Dreaming with God is freeing.
Dreaming with God is exciting.
Dreaming with God is trusting.
Dreaming with God is hoping.
Dreaming with god is beautiful.
Dreaming with God is NEW.
So, trust Him. Breathe in His presence. Bask in His love.
And DREAM BIG, dear friend. Dream so big that the world thinks you are crazy.
For nothing is impossible with God.
Sources Cited:
Walsh, Sheila. God Has a Dream For Your Life. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2006. Print