Between the Dreaming and Coming True

We all have hopes and dreams.  Dreams of what we want to be when we grow up.  Dreams of who we will marry.  Dreams of our children and their lives.  Dreams of certain accomplishments in life.  Dreams of how this world should be.  Dreams of how we can improve our lives, our houses, our families, our careers. 

I have lots of dreams.  Dreams of serving a vibrant, healthy, active, growing church that welcomes all people.  Dreams for my children to be healthy and discover God's love and purpose in their life.  Dreams for myself of being a more faithful follower of Christ.   

But the very nature of dreams means they are not a reality, at least not yet.  So what happens between the dreaming and the coming true?  Naturally, we're supposed to work toward making that dream a reality.  If we have a dream of graduating from college, we work hard for four (or more) years in order for that dream to come true.  But is making our dreams a reality just about hard work and our own efforts?

Between the dreaming and the coming true, there's something else we need to do.  Pray.  I don't mean pray that our dreams will come true, although some people do and I don't judge them for that.  But maybe our prayers should be more about if our dream is in line with God's dream and intentions for our lives.  I mean, lots of people dream of being rich and have all their material needs and wants met, but God knows that is usually not the path to being happy or finding purpose in life.  Maybe between the dreaming and the coming true we must focus on aligning our dreams with God's will for our lives and this world.

What our your dreams for your life, your family, your church, your neighborhood?  Have you asked God if those dreams fit into God's plan for you?  Are those dreams really in your best interest?  Or might there be another plan yet to be revealed?  Can you pray, "Not my will but your will be done, O Lord"?

Keep dreaming and praying...and praying and dreaming, with lots of faith and trust and hard work, you might be blessed to see that dream come true.  If not, then you'll be blessed anyway!