Dreams
I am a dreamer – or more accurately put – a day dreamer; always have been. With very little prompting, I can take a little sliver of a thought and build from it a magnificent mansion. For example, years ago I joined a writer’s group in our church. With very little encouragement my mind began dancing with visions of writing the next great American novel. Several rejection letters later, I felt as though I was standing amid the ruins of my lofty dream.
One would think that after six decades of living, the practical side of my nature would be a bit more developed. In many ways it is, but I still have the heart of a dreamer. In spite of troubles I could not have imagined ever having the strength to endure; it still beats with that hopeful rhythm.
I got to thinking about the people whose lives God has chosen to share with us through the pages of scripture. Were any of them dreamers? As it turns out, I believe many of them were. For example there were Jesus’ disciples. They had a dream that one day Jesus would free them from the tyranny of Roman rule and establish his kingdom. Surely they all dreamed of the places of honor they would occupy as His chosen ones. Instead they saw that dream die a shameful death on a cross one fateful Friday.
As far as they were concerned all hope was gone. However, God had a “dream” that was far better than any dream they could have imagined. Three short days later they saw the beginning of the unfolding of that miraculous dream.
I have found that it isn’t a bad thing to dream dreams, but I have also discovered that the dreams the Father has for me are far better than any I could ever conjure up on my own. The thing about His dreams is that they often look very different from mine. In fact, sometimes they look a bit frightening. I look at them and cannot understand how any good can come of them. How does suffering fit into a dream? How does loss and sorrow make it better? Why would He ask me to do something I feel so ill-suited to do?
The answer is that He loves me and will do only those things which are for my benefit. His dreams for me are always designed to make me more like His precious Son. He is far more interested in doing that than fulfilling the fanciful desires of a dreamer’s heart. The amazing thing is, when I come with my dreams held in open hands and lay them at His feet, I find there blessings far greater and richer than anything I had imagined. He cares about my dreams, and He takes them and makes of them something of eternal value, if I am willing to give them back to Him. He may use just exactly what I had been dreaming of, or they may bear little resemblance to what I had in mind. The miraculous thing is – they will always be good.
I want to get to the place where I am so close to Him that His dreams and my dreams become one.
“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Ps. 37:4 (NAS)
In His Love,
Linda
Bless you dear.
Linda—you are so right! I want His dreams and plans to become mine (if my dreams are not what He desires…I desire CHANGE!)
What a blessing today to read this!
Linda…
Wow…The miraculous thing is – they will always be good. Oh Amen…Amen… Amen…