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Dream Big

Dream Big
I have a dream – a vision. It’s just a dream though. It feels like it could just disappear like a mist the moment I awake. Like most dreams, the details are sketchy, but it seems like something important…. I guess dreams are the stuff that hope is made of. Instead of inspiring hope, my dream fills me with fear. I responded to the Lord readily with “here I am Lord, send me,” but now I don’t know where to go. Of course I’m excited by the dream but I’m not really a dreamer. I’m a practical girl in a practical world. How do I make the dream come to life? I dove right into the deep water and now I’m realizing I’m not a very strong swimmer. Oh Lord, can I please go back to the shallow end and get some swimming lessons? Or am I to learn as I flail about helplessly?
Joseph (in the Bible) was a dreamer too. I wonder if he felt overwhelmed or frightened by the dreams God gave him. How in the world could he plan to become the manager of Pharaoh’s empire? Who knows what Joseph was thinking, but he never acted too worried about the future. He just took it one step at time – from the pit, to Potipher’s household, to jail and eventually to the top. Hmmm…sounds like a strange road to the top. Maybe I need to adjust my own plans for success. There might just be a pit or at least a pitfall along the way (hopefully no jail time!). Instead of begging God to show me the path from here to there, perhaps I ought to just look for the next step. What do You want me to do today Lord?
Dreams like Joseph’s are lofty and may even sound pretentious. Can I have a vision to be used by God in a great way without losing my humble attitude? Maintaining a balance between pride-filled promotion and self-abasing misery, I seek to fulfill the role God has given me. He has gifted me as a teacher and motivator. I can not claim ownership over my abilities nor can I diminish all that God has given me. My role is to be a good and faithful steward; He has entrusted me with a vision to further His kingdom. Following that dream can only lead to God’s glory.
When my eyes drift away from my Savior and onto me, I begin to feel inadequate or else I am filled with pride. My focus must remain fixed upon my Lord in order to find my adequacy in Him and give all the glory to Him. Today, God is asking me to be obedient to His call on my life. Today, He is calling me to speak from the mountaintops what He has whispered to me in secret. Today, He leads me to boast in my weaknesses that He might be my strength in encouraging others. Today, He prompts me to be a prophet of hope in a hopeless world. I’m still here Lord. Send me.

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