Can We Talk About This For A Sec.....
This is a God dream . . . This is a God dream
I have always had big dreams; as mentioned in my last blog, they have all been big dreams, but I don't believe those childhood dreams were God-breathed.
A God-breathed dream is a little different. Sarah Beth Marr, the author of 'Dreaming with God', says (1) 'God's dreams for us are actually pathways to His heart, as well as to others' hearts. God wants us to allow Him to guide us into the dreams He has for us."
When I was 17, that was the first God dream I had; I had a dream to go to LA🌴; I had my heart set on doing a gap year and going to a christian leadership school. I was utterly geeked out by it 🤓… the ministry, the church services, and their daily outreach. I was also a dedicated follower of the programme's Instagram account before I'd even been accepted into the school. Being 17, packing my life up and going across the world 🌍 was a pretty wild concept for those around me. It was perhaps a wild concept because they didn't understand my dream.
In my last year of college 🎓, I went to an interview for a bursary grant that the college was giving out to help support different students' gap years. I created a board with pictures, illustrations and captions of my intended gap year 🗺️. If I do say so myself, the board was beautifully presented. It clearly exhibited the community I would get to serve and the different ministries I would be a part of.
(please see inserted picture for the reimagined idea)
The reality was that I had around 10mins to express my passion in hopes they would understand and want to support me. After hearing a little bit of what I had to say, one of the teachers looked at me and said …
"why can't you do that in the UK? What's so special about the place in LA."
Ermmm…..had he not just listened to my perfectly articulated presentation…. maybe I needed to mention all the different outreaches again.
Absolutely gutted… how in less than 10 minutes, had this man trampled all over my dream and completely burst my bubble with a substantially sized pin 📍.
It's a horrible feeling when somebody doesn't understand or get the dream you are pursuing. Our dreams and aspirations reflect our passions. When it's something we are passionate about, it's like it's a little piece of our heart ❤️ and, ultimately, a part of ourselves. When someone doesn't understand our dream, it can feel like they don't understand us.
As much as it made me feel deflated in that moment, I had faith in what I was called to do and where I was called to go. It might have affected my emotions, but it didn't affect my purpose. See, he could have said anything he wanted about my gap year…. it's kind of like the interviews on ‘The Apprentice’. If you don't know the show, there are these terrifying interviews the candidates have where highly established businessmen and women tear apart the business plans of the apprentice hopefuls; it's TV gold.
My goodness, the things they do and say in those interviews are shattering to the point where I think, how can this person pursue this job venture after that? Maybe the person with the mean comments is a well respected, established person in your world 🌍. Still, I believe faith is far greater than a comment made by a person that doesn't understand your God-given dream.
Someone who was a big dreamer in the Bible 📖 is Joseph. Joseph had some big God-given dreams and the thing I love about Joseph is that he had vast amounts of faith and belief in the dreams he was given. You wouldn't go around telling your siblings and your parents they'll be bowing down to you if you didn't believe it. I find Joseph admirable because he was well and truly alone with his dreams…. he most definitely did not have the support from his brothers on the matter… he was in it, just him and God. He had to trust that God would lead the way, even when those around him didn't share the same passion and fervour.
I did end up going to LA for my gap year; I wasn't going to let someone's thoughts on my decision deter me. I ended up staying another two years, serving the students of the leadership school and the community of LA.
Not everybody in my sphere of life understood. I found that many of my peers in LA were in the same boat 🛶; they too, had discouraging voices that didn't support their decision. We were all living out our purpose for the season, and most of us only had God in our corner with maybe one or two family members/ friends who understood.
When we get to Genesis 41, we see that Joseph's dreams come to pass. He didn't let the people around him stir him off the path that he was on, and of course, we have a faithful God who fulfils the dreams he has for us.
Maybe I need to say that again.... we have a faithful God who fulfils the dreams he has for us.
As much as I tried that day at college🎓 to win over the teachers in my interview, that one teacher did not view my gap year through the same lens 🕶 as I did. He didn't share my passion for the work in LA, and do you know what it taught me? Not everyone will share our passion…. not everyone will understand, and that's what I want to encourage you with. Sometimes our dreams will only make sense to God and us, and that's okay. Sometimes people will say negative things about our dreams, which is also okay. Nothing will get in the way of a God dream in our life, and when we are steadfast and faithful, we will see its fulfilment.
LET ME INSPIRE YOU TO BE THE ONE TO ENCOURAGE OTHER
WOMEN IN THEIR GOD-GIVEN DREAMS
(1) Sarah Beth Marr (2018). Dreaming with God: a bold call to step out and follow God's lead. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.