What’s Your Dream?
What’s your dream? Carol Harrison points out that dreams are helpful but that we must evaluate them and lay that at the feet of Jesus.
A New Year Offers Opportunities
Sometimes a new year offers us an opportunity to revisit ideas, plans and dreams we have for our lives. I am sure you have heard or entertained this question – if time and money were not a factor, what would you do? What a loaded question!
In all honesty, I am not sure I have a quick answer for my mind races in a few directions as I contemplate what I would do. What dreams I might like to fulfill. My first thought is that I need to spend time figuring out what might make the list of dreams or desires of things I want to do and what could drop off the list.
How about you? Can you answer this as soon as someone poses it? Do you have dreams waiting to come to life? How do they fit in with the puzzle of your life at this time?
My Teenage Dreams
At eighteen I could tell people what my dreams were with no hesitation. I had dreamed for years about becoming a teacher, getting married and having children. If anyone asked me for more ideas or specifics, I usually added something about the adventure of travel. I longed to see places I had only read about in a book or magazine.
Looking back at my teenage dreams, I see how they have materialized except for traveling the world. I finished high school and went to university to become a teacher. I had a chance to teach in a school setting for a short time but have used teaching skills in other ways ever since.
I met my husband at university where he also took teacher training. We married and that fulfilled yet another dream. I became a mother and later a grandmother and all the dreams of my youth were complete. But when I take a good, long look at my current life puzzle, I wonder if I have dreams anymore and if I do what they might be.
Travel Dreams
Travel still intrigues me. The idea of seeing new places, meeting folks from other cultures and countries and experiencing adventure in far-away places still intrigues me. But realistically I look around my city and realize I can meet people from all over the world and never leave home.
With age and maybe more experience, I am thinking about whether dreams and plans need to be tempered with reality. Even more importantly, I believe they should be viewed in the light of eternal perspective. If time and money were no object, what would I do that would have an impact, not just for myself but in the lives of others? What opportunities should I look for to share the gospel, to encourage someone else, to show compassion? Oh the possibilities to fulfill any of these things.
A Writer’s Dream
As a writer and storyteller, I think of the dream of being able to write without worrying about costs, to be able to give books to others as an encouragement. I love to mentor and coach people and if time and money were no object, I would love to be able to offer coaching for free.
Maybe I would head to back to school to take some more counselling classes which would enable me to help others more. I enjoy sharing stories through times of speaking and then have opportunity to listen to the stories of the people in the audience. I would love to help others learn to share their stories too.
Make Your Dreams Come True
Are there ideas running through your mind right now that you would love to implement to make your dreams come true? I have so many ideas but time and dollars do effect each decision, each step in making a dream come true. We need to check if we can realistically devote the time, at this season of our lives, to making a specific dream come true.
Then we can make a plan, set some goals, and work one step at a time in the direction of making our dreams come true. It might mean saving some money towards a project – like a new book for me or taking a class.
Laying Our Dreams at Jesus’ Feet
But as we dream and plan, the most important part is to lay all our hopes, dreams and desires at the feet of Jesus and ask him to lead us in the right direction, at the right time, and for the right reasons.
In Proverbs 16 there is some great wisdom and reminders about making plans.
Proverbs 16: 1-3 & 9
To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
After reading the Scriptures, I know everything in my puzzle called life must begin and end with a heart that is trusting God.
Proverbs 3: 5, 6 says,
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
What are your dreams for this year? I do like making plans but I trust God to help me hold them loosely and trust him with all my heart so I can be flexible and follow any changes God brings about.
What are your dreams? We would love to hear from you. Share your comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Carol Harrison
Listen to Carol’s program Puzzle Pieces Of Life or visit Carol’s website carolscorner.ca
Carol Harrison B.Ed is a speaker and published author with one book, Amee’s Story and stories in twelve anthologies. She is passionate about helping people of all ages and ability levels find their voice and reach their fullest potential.
She knows, through personal experience that some of life’s experiences are tougher than others. She encourages people that even in the twists and turns of life God’s amazing grace provides hope.
She lives in Saskatoon, SK with her husband Brian. They have four adult children and a dozen grandchildren.
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