I recently found a picture I drew of my dream man from middle school. I wish I had it to post haha.
He was buff, with triangular hair, a flashy smile and little bumps where his pecs should have been. He was skydiving from an airplane, with my name written across his parachute, and for a landing, he was riding a skateboard down a ramp overlooking crocodiles. I was watching this spectacle from a beach in the distance as he gazed down with hearts as his eyes. The entire image cracked me up and I remembered thinking, where did I come up with this stuff… and then, what happened?
Somewhere along the way of “growing up” I think I forgot how to have fun. Until recently, I was so afraid of what people would think of me that I stopped being myself and just faded into what other people wanted me to be. Which is not a fun place to be. I became very serious. Looking back, I think I had stopped dreaming, stopped imagining, and just settled for not taking risks in order to avoid failure.
But I want to be a dreamer for the Kingdom of Heaven! God says, with Him, nothing is impossible; and I want to think from that place! Four years ago I had a "Crazy Idea List" that quickly became my prayer list. It was for only the wildest ideas, that bordered impossibilities in my mind. (It was from that list that Unite was born, for those of you who are familiar with that story.) I want to revive that list.
Today I shared all this with my Squadmate after lunch and she blessed me with a prayer.
Then later during worship I was sitting with the Lord and one of the Squad Leaders came up and wrapped her arms around me. We had barely spoken before, and she started to pray for me. One of her comments brought tears to my eyes as my Father loved me through her words. She said she saw me beginning to dream again. To dream for myself and for others. To dream for the world. For big things. She spoke life into me and through the words of a stranger, my Father whispered, I hear you, and I love you. This year we will dream together.
God is good. He is the giver of good gifts. Of beautiful dreams. He gives us passions and things that make us come alive inside, and He offers us a relationship with Himself to make our dreams realities. So whether it's returning to the humor of a childlike imagination again or pursuing your passion to end AIDS, I pray that you are blessed with dreams straight out of Gods heart! When we dream with the Author of Life, we bring life into a dark and desperate world. It’s an amazing honor and privilege. So what are your dreams?
I’m still answering that question. I don’t know what it looks like for me yet. But I know my Father is holding my hand and walking me through step by step.
He’s inviting you to do the same. 🙂
