I met a friend for coffee a few weeks back. We were in downtown Fort Collins, Colorado. As we walked toward the coffee shop we noticed a person, wrapped in a blanket not moving at all. He was in the middle of the sidewalk while people walked by and stepped over him. It looked like he might not be alive. My friend knelt down and asked the person if he was ok? He was startled and awoke abruptly.
After my heart rate returned to its normal pace, God spoke to my heart: “Sometimes things are dead, and sometimes they just need to be woken up.”
I pondered those words for the rest of the day.
Later, another friend called who was struggling with her career. She shared her hopes and dreams for her career and how they were being destroyed. Then I told her the story.
Sometimes things are dead, and sometimes they just need to be woken up.
Sometimes a dream is dead, and sometimes it just needs to be woken up.
Blueprints for our Souls
Dreams are deep in our minds, whispering secrets of a life unlived, of possibilities yet to be explored. These dreams are not mere fantasies or fleeting wishes; they are the blueprints of our souls, guiding us towards our true purpose and calling.
Deepest Desires
But how often do we take notice of our dreams? How often do we allow ourselves to delve into our imagination, to chase our deepest desires? Too often, we are held back by fear, doubt, and the pressures of the external world. We allow ourselves to be bound by the constraints of being practical and logical, dismissing our dreams as nothing more than childish fantasies.
Hope
Yet, deep down, we know that our dreams are so much more than that. They are the seeds of hope planted within us, waiting to be discovered. One of the most common fears as a Christian is that our dreams might not lie within the parameters of God’s plan for our lives.
Discovery
So, how do we begin to discover God’s dreams for us? The journey starts with a single step, a willingness to open our minds and hearts to the potential that lies within us. God’s hope and plan for us is within our dreams.
Permission
If we give ourselves permission to dream and then listen with an open mind our dreams become real and guide us towards our true path. We must learn to quiet the noise of the external world and tune in to the still, small voice within that speaks the language of our dreams.
Fear
There is a lot of fear in our dreams. We are scared that our dreams cannot be achieved. We fear letting down our families, friends and even ourselves. Sometimes, the fear of failure is much greater than the actual failure itself. But failure comes about when we miss the mark of God’s desires for us. We need a constant and daily reminder that God’s love never fails; it is all that we are able to know, without fault, that won’t let us down (Psalm 136).
Obstacles
Our lives are full of obstacles—people and circumstances that try to tell us our dreams are impossible, unrealistic or that there is something wrong with trying to fulfill them. Far too many people in our society have fallen victim to these negative influences and have come to believe that their dreams are unattainable.
Energy
Dreams give us the extra energy we need to realize our faraway goal. The ability to dream, to imagine, to create a vision of the future is a unique gift. No other creature on earth possesses it. It is God’s gift to us as human beings. If we feel like we have lost the ability to dream, we need to take a look at the One who gave us this divine quality in the first place.
God has Big Dreams for You
God dreams. He ‘dreamed’ of you and all you could be before you were even born (Jeremiah 1:5). He created you to be uniquely you—there has never been, nor will there ever be, another you (Psalm 139:13-16). God wants to open your eyes to all that he can do in your life, which is more than you or I are even capable of imagining (Ephesians 3:20). God has dreamed, and is still dreaming, big dreams for you: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
The Dreams of God
God doesn’t promise a life without difficulties, but he does promise that his plans for you and me will ultimately lead to joy, fulfillment and a future filled with hope. Have you considered the dreams of God lately?
Connect
Take a moment to connect with the dreams that are within you. Embrace your dreams, for they are the guiding lights that will lead you home to yourself.
Purpose
I believe we’ve all been put here with a specific purpose in mind. And the way we discover what that purpose is, is by following what we enjoy and the things that come naturally to us. We discover our purpose by pursuing our dreams and desires.
Work Towards Your Dreams
And of course, we need to be responsible and smart about it. But we’re going to stay frustrated and unfulfilled in life unless we’re doing something to work towards those dreams that have been placed within us.
Spiritual Gifts
Next week my blog post is about spiritual gifts. I will discuss what they are, how to discover them and how to use them. This may help you find your dreams, or at least awaken them.
Don’t assume the dream is dead. Sometimes a dream just needs to be woken up.