Dreamality

Wow- did this week fly by or was it just me? I've been so busy preparing for midterms (which start tomorrow) that I feel like there wasn't enough time in the day. Last night, I headed to church ready to hear what God had in store for me. After the service, I stopped by the bookstore and decided to purchase Dreamality, a book I had my eyes on for quite some time now. It is written by my pastor, Bob Coy, and the theme of the book is intersecting heaven's dream with your reality. I picked it up last night and could barely put it down. Even this morning, I read for about an hour. Let me give you a rundown...

Can you remember dreams you had as a child? It wasn't long ago that I remember dreaming of being the very first woman President- now, I want nothing to do with that dream! : ) Instead, I have moved on to pursue a degree in communications, where I will hopefully be able to work as a desktop editor at a magazine or as a graphic designer at an advertising firm. Now, to some of you, that might sound like complete boredom, but to me, that sounds like fun. God gifts us each with unique talents and interests to accomplish our dreams, but the question we have to ask ourselves is "Whose dreams am I settling for?" Is what I'm doing today a dream God had for me, or is this just a dream I've created for myself?

In a well-known passage, Jeremiah 29:11, God says "I know the plans I have for you- plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God knew and loved us before the earth was ever created- He knew what each and every day would entail. Most importantly, He knows the purpose He has for our lives and our talents- there's a reason we were made the way we are. Our dreams are not meant only to fulfill what we want for ourselves here on earth- they are so much more. God-given dreams allow us to be a part of God's master plan to share with others and glorify Him! We are used as instruments in the very hand of God!

BUT (yes, there is a but), we cannot live a life fully abiding in God if we hold onto our own dreams we have created. In Matthew 10:39, Jesus says, "If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but, if you give up your life for me, you will find it." So many people today are looking for satisfaction through the fulfillment of their self-created dreams- it is a satisfaction they will never find. When God gets a hold of our lives, our dreams pale in comparison to everything He has planned for us. Why would we hold onto a rock, when God wants to give us a diamond? If we don't let go of our own dreams, we miss out on the miraculous plan of God. We can't hold back any longer, we can't continue to live for ourselves. This temporary life is only significant if the impact we make is for God's eternal glory.

So, let me ask you the same question I've been asking myself today: Are you settling in your own dreams or are you living in the fullness of God's dream for you? Honestly, I don't know the answer for myself, but I do know this: God is faithful and capable. And if I put all my trust in Him, He will show me what He wants for my life. "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7: 7-8) I'm ready to live a life that is beyond my control- and I know God will show me what He wants if I simply ask.