Does God give dreams that He doesn’t allow his children to realize?
Is it possible to have a dream that you find looks completely different in reality than it did in your dream?
Is there a difference between striving toward your goals/dreams and living fully in the present with what God has given you? Can you do both at the same time?
Sometimes I think about what I would like my life to look like…who doesn’t do that sometimes, right? I have things in my mind that I would like to see or experience. I have certain ideas about what I would like my life to look like. At 60 or 70 or 80 years old, I don’t want to look back on my life and wish I’d done things differently…wish I’d had a different life. I’d like to live without regrets.
I’ve always assumed that to not have children would be to have regrets one day. There was a time, not that long ago, when I couldn’t picture myself going through life, especially after 30, without children and eventually grandchildren. I thought my life would be a waste if not for children to raise and love.
And then God got into my mind and shook everything up (we need a good shake every now and then, and I don’t think He minds accommodating that). Really, what is my purpose here? Is it to live out my dreams (as I see them), or is it to be fully available to God, for Him to use for His purposes? I do believe that God gives dreams and gifts. And I do believe He gives them for a reason. For the longest time I thought that meant that my life would go according to my dreams...I dream and long to be a wife and mother, therefore I would have a husband and children and live the cookie-cutter life (complete with white picket fence).
But what if God has something different for me? What if my dream of motherhood will take on a different form than pregnancy and birth and children filling my home? What if I will be a “mother” to others who are not my children? What if God has something different and better for me? I know what I dream...but what if I’m not seeing the big picture? Do I actually trust that God’s way is better than mine? Mine looks pretty good…and I’m sure it would work and I would have a wonderfully happy, fulfilling life. But is God going to use me in some other way if I make myself available to Him?
Perhaps…
Monday, March 02, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I often have questioned some of the same things. When doors close on something I am pursuing - something that is my DREAM - does it mean that my dream was not in alinement with God's will? So hard to say. I will never forget a lady that came to talk to our dorm when I was at BBC. She was in her 40's, single, no children. She said her dream in life had been to get married, have kids, and be a wife and mom. But God didn't lead her on that path. It was a major reality check for me - that MY dreams might not be God's dreams. She spoke about how it took her a long time to be at peace with God's will for her life. I've always held onto that, and really want my beliefs to be what shapes my reaction to the events that happen in my life, even if that means that I have to leave behind some of my dreams. The CROSS before me, the WORLD behind me, right? So much easier said than done, but I'm sure God will show you where you are to walk.
As I was thinking about the questions that you raised it reminded me of the biblical accounts of God working in God's people and how rarely their lives turned out the way that they had imagined. What I would hang onto though is the exciting possibilities that arise when our eyes are opened in new ways to how God works in the world. Yes, I believe God works through dreams and passions. But I think that God works in ways beyond what we can imagine and only in hindsight will it all come together.
Post a Comment