Day 83 - Dreaming Big
Scripture focus: Not that I have already obtained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12 NIV
Some dreams aren't meant to become reality. I once dreamed of becoming a research scientist who would crack open a few skulls and uncover the mysteries yet-to-be-explored in the brain. A severe reaction to blood - fainting - caused me to rethink my plan (that and an appalling lack of ability to grasp chemistry). When I encourage us to become big dreamers, I'm not suggesting that we live in a dream world.
"Some of our dreams are meant to be just that - dreams. We may not be able to accomplish everything we can dream, but we will not accomplish anything without our dreams. That's not to say that things don't happen beyond our wildest dreams, but that effect seems to come into play only when we are actually pursuing wild dreams. The bumblebee effect (describes how great and apparently impossible dreams can set in motion a chain of events resulting in a seemingly insignificant person living an extraordinary life) is a reminder that you may be underestimating what you're capable of doing. Certainly design matters. But even in nature purpose overrides design. The bumblebee has a purpose that makes it necessary for it to fly, and so it does. Bumblebees are a great reminder that we should never underestimate potential. In fact, every life that is pulled out from the mundane and ordinary and finds unexpected flight becomes proof of God." Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus, entry 5, Destiny.
Past experiences of abuse, neglect and abandonment teach many of us the wrong lesson; they diminish us. An angry young boy, parented by a "mean" dad, often becomes a "mean" kid - pushing others away. I know a boy like that. Let me tell you what happened to him. He chose to believe in bumblebees. He let a good man show him a different way. He had a million reasons to continue in the footsteps of his dad, but made a crucial mid-course correction, and decided instead to follow in the footsteps of a coach who took the time to point him in a different direction. Reality predicted a sorry end for a sorry kid. Instead, this kid followed a dream and rejected the dire predictions of prognosticators (like his dad) who said he'd never amount to anything.
"Without dreams we have nothing to pull us forward. It is, in fact, our dreams that energize us to literally go to war against reality and make what only exists in our imagination our future. There may be no more uniquely human capacity than the ability to anticipate. We dream of a destiny, and it fuels our desire. When we dwell on the past, we tend to want to live there. When we dream of the future, we want to go there. Our dreams are where God paints a picture of a life waiting to be created. Dreams are god's way of fueling the future, and in this we are all the same. All of us need to believe in tomorrow. A life in God is never absent of dreams." Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus, entry 5, Destiny.
So press on. Follow your dreams, passions, and desires. Move toward the light, and let it inform your big hopes and dreams. Some dreams are not meant to be - but if you step as God speaks, this refining of the dream process is thrilling, not chilling. "Ahhh..." we say. "Now I get it. I thought I was going to be a researcher of brains. But God had better plans for me." Momentary disappointments, struggles, and mid-course corrections are all part of the process. But we press on. We dream big and embrace God's guidance we're pulled forward energized equipped, and encouraged.
Recommended reading: Numbers 36 in the morning; Luke 6 and Psalm 66 in the evening
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