Dare to Dream

I have had a couple of friends ask recently, "How can I pray for you, or how can I pray for this certain situation?"  Wellllllllll........here's my typical answer...pray for my kids, our house situation, more kid stuff, husband, husband work, friends and family.....you know the drill.  It's not that I don't think I need the prayer, because BELIEVE me I do, and I know it.  It's just that I feel like I've lost touch on what I even desire. I know the grace and blessings I've been given, and I know what I deserve.  It will never match up, it will never make sense.

Ephesians 1:7-8 (ESV)

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

 I have heard people often quote the scripture...God gives you the desires of your heart...I believe this with everything in me...but, I believe He actually imparts the desires of your heart, He places the desires within you...desires that bring GLORY to Him, desires that He placed in us when He was putting us together and then when we delight ourselves in Him, these desires well up in us.

Psalm 37:4English Standard Version (ESV)

4 

Delight yourself in the Lord,

    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

But, lately....I can't even tell you what that is for me....I can always give the right answer...I want love and peace on earth for all mankind (slight sarcasm), but as far as specifically for me....I know deep down what some of those things are, but they seem so far out of reach that I have a hard time even praying it, let alone sharing with people...LORD, HELP MY UNBELIEF.  

I truly believe God can do anything and I don't have to pray a certain prayer or think of the perfect answer to that question, but how much sweeter is it, when I can go to my Father with the desires that He has placed in me, and be honest and to recognize that it is Him that has even placed the desires into my heart, enough to even know what that is and then watch Him absolutely work miracles to do more than I can think or imagine.



We gave Luke and Esther a Sweet 16 Survivor party last weekend.  It is tradition in our family.  The kids tried to plan and drop hints that they wanted to do this, and I just told them not to worry, we had a good plan for their birthdays.  I know they wanted this, but they figured since we had done several other things to celebrate, that they were just happy with what had already taken place.

 

 We surprised them, and it was fun and messy and wild and completely unnecessary.

 We knew they would have a blast with their friends and it gave us great pleasure in making it happen.  

Our Father feels this way about us, and does these kinds of things for us all the time...........only a zillion times more.

As I was trying to reassure the kids the other day in one of those family meeting sorta talks that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives and we just need to trust Him; we can't get stuck in hanging on to only what we can see and understand, but we have to walk in faith  and trust that the Lord is good and He is working in us, and all around us, all the time, for our good and for His Glory.


 This is easy for me to tell them and hard for me to receive, apparently.




It's been a week of daring to dream again.  God has given me a renewed hope and some pretty sweet conversations with people to listen and speak encouragement.  I've had some people press in and ask some questions that gave me courage to dream.







 God has given confirmations of His hearing and caring for  my heart, even when I've been afraid to admit let alone, speak or think, what was truly in there.

I've had some moments of thrill at the possibilities, and fear of the unknown.




May we race hard and fast with a smile and the belief that we are in the best race of our lives.

Hebrews 12:1-2English Standard Version (ESV)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.