The Dream is Just the Beginning

Real life happens when we keep pursuing our dreams. The dream, my friends, is just the beginning.

It reminds me of the popular saying, "And they lived happily ever after."

Did they really?

Or is that the stuff fairy tales are made of?

I remember talking with a friend when I was newly married, that I wasn't sure what in the heck I was supposed to pray for. I mean, God answered my big dream for a husband that I felt almost empty inside. I wasn't sure how to pray because we weren't ready to start popping out babies yet. I legitimately wanted to know what to pray for next.

Her answer surprised me.

She told me to keep praying for my husband. Just because God answered my prayers for a husband didn't mean life was over or that I had nothing to pray for. It was the opposite. I had the greatest privilege of being my husband's best friend, encourager, and prayer warrior.

What is it about fairy tales, and the world wanting us to believe  the if we can dream it -- we can do it crap? This is only partially true.

The dream is just the beginning...

I was living in the mindset that when God answered my prayers it was then time to pray something new. That taught me nothing about living in the present. It also didn't teach me how to enjoy my husband for the gift he is, and the answer to so many prayers.

After we got married, it was immediately apparent to me that Marc's job was s-t-r-e-s-s-f-u-l. For the first few years of our marriage, we slept a lot. And, we still sleep a lot! God used Marc to teach me how to rest!

I'm so glad my friend challenged me to pray for my husband because he needs prayers more than ever! Recently, I have been crying out to God to answer his dream of finding a less stressful job out of state so we can start a family. I have also begun asking others to pray for him. I came across this verse in Ruth during my quiet time that really encouraged me how to pray specifically.

Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!” Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said. “The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.” (Ruth 2:19-20, NIV).

I love how God reveals His Spirit so powerfully through His Word. Like Ruth, Marc took notice of me. He allowed me to continue working. If it wasn't for Marc -- I probably would of had to go back to work full time and stop writing and speaking. In my heart, I want God to bless Marc for blessing me!

See?

This is why we persevere in prayer.

This is why we don't allow our dreams to make us become lazy or complacent.

This is why people "at the top" don't find it rewarding enough, quit, or start acting out.

The dream, in and of itself, is never enough.

We can look at a celebrities like Justin Bieber, Michael Jordan, and Chris Martin (Gwyneth Paltrow's ex), while shaking our heads. Justin continues to act out. Michael Jordan quit basketball for baseball, and Chris Martin was quoted in Vanity Fair for blaming himself for their conscious uncoupling (what the heck?).

“What changed for me was, I don’t want to go through life being scared of it, being scared of love, being scared of rejection, being scared of failure . . . About two years ago, I was a mess really because I can't enjoy the thing that we are good at, and I can't enjoy the great things around me because I’m burdened by this—I’ve got to not blame anyone else and make some changes.”

Dreams, like marriage, take work. They are just the beginning of so much more that God has for us.

I take my job as a Dream Coach very seriously because I know the passion and perseverance it takes to live the dream. I know how it feels to long for something so bad, get it, and continue longing for that dream to continue. This is the kind of legacy I want to leave -- not just the excitement or the first unfolding of the dream, but making an impact for future generations.

When your story meets His story you become a part of history. (Miles DeBenedictis)

Don't just wish for your dreams to come true.

Wish for so much more than that because you God's masterpiece.

Question: Have you ever wondered what kind of an impact your dreams can have on future generations -- not just the immediate gratification of a dream come true?