Okay. So, I am moving across the country after the race to a place I have never been to do something I have never done, with people that I haven’t known for long.
I figured I should just get that all out right away. Now, let’s go back a bit.
I have realized I have a thing for dreams. I am a dreamer. Not the kind of dreams you have when you are sleeping. Those kinds of dreams are great, but not the kind we are talking about here. I am talking about the change the world, keep you up at night, can’t keep it to yourself kind of dreams.
I have realized these dreams are usually pretty big. At least for me, when God gives me a dream and a passion, He goes all out. Go big or go home, right? I honestly believe He gives us these dreams and passions with the full intent that we fulfill them and make them a reality. We can give glory to God through the fruition of the dreams He has given us.
I have also realized I have another thing with these dreams. I like to make my dreams reality. What is the point of a dream with no intent to carry it through to fruition? If fulfilling the dreams that God has given us brings him glory, what are we waiting for??
For example:
I dreamed of coming on the World Race. God put this dream, passion, and desire in my heart to reach the people in Ecuador, India, and Zambia for Him. Look where I am now! I am in the middle of Assam, Northeast India, in a little village surrounded by people with the big dream of reaching the world for Jesus. If God is for us, who can be against us? Let me tell you- there were a lot of things that were against my friends and I being here in India, but not one of them stood against us. Not $13,805 in fundraising. Not political tension and unrest. Not difficult and long travel days. Not sickness that keeps us up all night. Nothing. Nada. Not a thing can keep us from fulfilling the dreams God has given us.
I dreamed of going to Nepal. About five or six years ago, I fell in love with a people I have never met, a culture I have never experienced, a place I have never seen. When the earthquake hit Nepal a couple of years ago, my heart broke. When I hear of how human trafficking is effecting young people in the sex slave and labor trade in Nepal, I get filled with such an anger that I can barely contain it. For the longest time, I dreamed of being able to set foot in Nepal. I wore a necklace that said Nepal on it and people would ask all the time, “Oh, when did you go to Nepal?” I would then explain that actually… I haven’t been to Nepal. But then I got to explain my dream. Now when people ask, I can say I have. A few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to go, and I took it and ran. We had to rearrange some schedules. We had to jump through some hoops. We had to navigate travel logistics gone wrong. But remember, if God is for us, who can be against us? Nothing, Nada, Not a thing.
Not much makes me more excited than a new dream and God has made this next one a doozie. It’s definitely the biggest and craziest one so far!
I am moving across the country after the race, to a place where I have never been to do something that I have never done, with people that I haven’t known for long.
So where am I going?
The great state of Utah. I have heard it is pretty great, but I haven’t actually been there… yet. But if God is calling me there, it doesn’t matter if I have been there or not. Am I right? Let’s take Abraham for example. Abraham is counted as a righteous man over and over again in scripture and is praised for his faithfulness. In Genesis 12:1, God says “Abram, leave your country, your people, and your family and go to the land that I will show you.” and then in Genesis 12:4, it says “and so Abram left.” God said, “Sydney just go.” So here I am, going.
What am I doing?
Well friends, I am starting a coffee shop in Salt Lake City. Yes, it is a business. No, I have never started a business before. Yes, I know how crazy this sounds. But remember, if God is for us, who can be against us? Nothing, nada, Not a thing. It seems to be a reoccurring theme, huh? I know it will be hard, I know that I don’t have all of the answers, and I know that I have so much to learn. But I am not going to let that scare me out of doing what God has called me to do. I am sure that in Genesis 12:4, there were a lot of doubts and questions running around Abraham’s head. But, he still left. He didn’t let the doubts and fears keep him from going and doing what God had called him to do. Doubts, fears, unanswered questions, insecurities- none of them have the power to stand against us when God is with us.
Who are these people?
Well, for one, they are incredibly awesome and you will absolutely love them. Two, they have the biggest hearts for Jesus. And three, God has given them a dream just like mine.
Brooke ( brookehorton.theworldrace.org )
Alexis ( alexisguy.theworldrace.org )
Breeana ( breeanalopez.theworldrace.org )
I have gotten to see the Lord working in their lives so much in the short six months I have known them, and I am so excited to get to do life with them after the race!
We are trusting the Lord to provide for our needs and for the coffee shop. It isn’t easy, but we are finding solace in God’s nature to provide. He is our Father and we are his kids. He calls Himself Jehovah Jireh. Jehovah Jireh means “the Lord is our provider”
We don’t need to be qualified and completely independent. Rather, we are unqualified and completely dependent on God to provide. He doesn’t call the qualified but qualifies the called. Through this process we want it to be so evident that it is not our work, but the Lord’s work through us. He provided and that is the reason why we are here.
That is why we want to name the coffeeshop Jireh’s Brew.
It isn’t ours. It’s His.
One more thing with dreams. They get bigger and more impactful when they are shared.
When I was thinking about dreams the other day, I wrote this down in my journal:
“Dangerous dreams have power. When a dream enters reality, it has the great potential to change your world- but when that dangerous dream is shared, the impact becomes deadly. It is no longer confined.
Now your dream has a reality outside of your own , and it has the power to change the reality of the world.
The dream that began as dangerous, then became deadly, has then become uncontrollably disastrous.”
In line with those terms, God gave me a deadly dream. Now, this dream is shared and I am no longer doing this with just myself. The dream He has given us is deadly. And now I want to share it with you.
This is one of those change the world, keep you up at night, can’t keep it to yourself dreams, and I want you all to be a part of it. I don’t want to keep it to myself!
If God is for us, then who can be against us?
