dream again

Driving home from aerobics (and lamenting my sore muscles), I listened to the song "Dreamer" by Bethany Dillon. As I sang along with the now familiar words, I couldn't help but let my mind wander back to the dreams I had as a little girl. Back then, my thoughts were always so lofty, always about aspiring to be something important, crucial, pivotal in God's plan, and always full of the faith to know that fulfilling those dreams was not only possible, it was just a matter of time. Those were sweet days, when discouragement didn't exist, before the realization that maybe my dreams needed a healthy dose of reality. I remember those moments fondly.

Unfortunately we grow, and seemingly from nowhere come the Dream Thieves. We've all encountered them, and in many different forms. Whatever way they show up, they leave us feeling the same, inadequate, like you just aren't enough; don't quite measure up. Sometimes they even tell you that you're too much. Those are sinking moments.

I think that God Himself grieves over those losses for us.

For me, there are specific memories I have, instances where well-meaning adults, or vindictive peers said things that made something inside quiet the dream. There have even been times when I know that I myself unwittingly (or I'm sorry to say, wittingly) pointed someone away from their destiny.

These thoughts swirled as I drove, and then shifted to the way God began to restore me. When I attended worship school at Victory Bible Institute, we were spoiled with several guest speakers who had been fortunate to make a living doing the thing they were created for: worship. One particular day, Darrell Evans (the man who penned many famous worship songs including 'Your Love is Extravagant,' and 'Let the River Flow') was speaking to our class. He told of how he knew he was called to lead people in worship, and had spent countless hours at home in intimate times with the Lord. He was waiting tables at Village Inn one evening when a few lyric lines started rolling over and over in his mind. While taking a break, he scribbled out the words on a napkin... "Let the poor man say I am rich in Him, Let the lost man say I am found in Him, And let the river flow..." Years later, and unbeknownst to him at the time, this song would literally circulate the world, drawing people into a place of sincere response to God. He stressed the point of this inspiring moment happening in an unlikely locale, when he felt he couldn't have been further from his destiny. He closed by reminding us, "God will find you anywhere." With that simple thought, somewhere deep inside me a dream started to breathe again.

If you have a God-inspired dream, it doesn't matter where you are on the globe, He will 'find' you and help you move into making His dream for you a reality. He'll work your circumstances, your heart, and your geographical location right into His plan, if you'll let Him.

Approximately 8 months ago, I was in conversation with a dear friend when he made a simple comment... Or at least it seemed simple at the time. He casually said, 'It's just good to know that I'm doing what I was created to do.' This sentence not only struck me then, it has repeatedly come to my mind as a standard for my own life. What would that really feel like? Dare I dream that I'll ever truly be able to say that?

While reading these thoughts, please do not misunderstand me. It is infinitely more important to me to know God intimately, than it is to think about all the great things I could do for God. Going through a time that feels mundane and monotonous is for our good. It's during those times that we are to press in and discover Him more. Just like Darrell waiting tables at the Village Inn, we have our own set of circumstances and training grounds. It's when we actively seek Him first, that He moves mountains in our lives.

I recently changed the welcome message on my cell phone to be a constant reminder that God has my best interest at heart - and that He wants me to fulfill my destiny even more than I want to. It reads "God dreams bigger for you than you do for yourself."

Let Him quiet the dream thieves. Let Him teach your heart to sing its dream-song again. He wants you to accomplish great things in life even more than you long for it yourself. This is the lesson that bears constant reminding...