Dreams Revived

For the last day-and-a-half, I have been at the “Extraordinary Women’s Conference” in my town.  I went very reluctantly.  It was promoted in my church for at least a month beforehand.  But, I would pick up the brochures and just have no interest whatsoever.

My Dear One said “You should go.”  So, I would pick up the brochure again, look it over, and register no interest whatsoever.

The friend who was promoting it at church would ask me again saying that she still had the inexpensive version of the tickets.  So, I would pick up the brochure again, look it over, and register no interest whatsoever.

It got closer to time.  My Dear One said, “You should go.”  So, I would pick up the brochure again, look it over, and register no interest whatsoever.

I know, you get the drift.  I really couldn’t have been less interested.  Finally, my Dear One mentioned that a friend of ours was coming in from several states away and was going to the conference.  I perked up.  I still didn’t care about the conference, but I did care about getting to spend some time with her.  And, if I had to go to the conference to do so, I decided it was worth it.  So, I finally bought a ticket.

A couple of days before the conference, our friend turned back in her travels and headed back to her home to deal with her dear one’s medical needs. 

Crap! Now I’d spent the money and felt obligated to go.  A group of us had made dinner and car pool plans.  Guess who was supposed to be the driver….

I couldn’t think of a way to back out gracefully.  Therefore, I went.  I really wasn’t expecting much.  But God is always full of surprises. 

I can’t describe the stories the speakers told.   It would take way too long.  Suffice it to say, GO to one if it comes to your town.  Here are two things I got out of it.  I’ll share more another time.  

 1. God isn’t finished with me.  I need to keep dreaming and expecting God to move in my life.  One of my dreams has always centered around orphans and relief work.  While I was at the conference my husband and I agreed to sponsor a 16 yr. old boy from Uganda.  I even talked to the World Help people with thoughts of being involved more than just sponsoring.  I believe that God isn’t through with my dreams to help orphans.  Psalm 138:8  The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

2. My tragedies and upsets are no surprise to God.  They don’t even derail HIS plan.  But it may mean that what I pray and believe for comes a different way than what I expected.  As a minor part of a bigger upset, I recently felt it necessary to stop singing on the praise team at my church.  I really felt like I had no other right choice to make because of some personal circumstances.  Singing on that team and being a part of the impact of praise on the body really meant a lot to me.  Way more than I know how to convey.  I had wanted to do it for years.  When I finally asked, it was okayed, but it was almost another year before I could because I had lost my singing voice to four months of pertussis.  When I finally got up there, I knew it was God.  All nervousness and fear were gone and in their place was a confidence and joy that is indescribable.  And now, because of circumstances, I saw that dream derailed.  I have grieved that tremendously.  Now, I can believe that this is just a bump on the road.  God will give me other opportunities in other places to exercise the gift He has given me.  I’m looking and expecting God’s plan to come through on that one. 

Isaiah 43:19  Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, [and] rivers in the desert.

Have you had a dream derailed?  Or worse, have you stopped dreaming?  Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  God is speaking of how even Babylonian captivity won’t derail his plans for his people.  The scripture goes on to say in verses 12-14, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me.  When you seek me with all your heart.”  

Honestly, I really had no interest whatsoever in going.  I couldn’t have dreamed what God had in store for me!

Don’t stop dreaming.  Phillipians 1:6 reassures us …that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.  Maybe your dream has just taken another, better path. 

What are you dreaming?