When I was a little girl, I used to pretend a lot. I would pretend I was an actress and act out scenarios in my bedroom, with all of my dolls and stuffed animals. I do believe most kids play pretend when they’re young. At one point in my teen years, I thought I wanted to be an actress, but as I got older other dreams inside of me started to develop. I journaled a lot and became very fond of writing, and knew that someday I would write a book. I am currently in the process of getting a book published, and have seen many other dreams that were in my heart, come to life. Yet, there are other dreams that are still being developed and some I am still currently waiting for.
I often wonder how dreams start, do they start when we’re young or can they develop over time? I think dreams were placed inside of us at a young age but sometimes develop and come about in a different way than we could have imagined. Sometimes they’re lived out for a season, until God prepares us to do greater things even beyond that. There are a lot of things I have envisioned and have given to the father for Him to prepare something even greater beyond what I can comprehend.
Why are dreams important? I believe dreams are important to live out because they have a great connection to how God works. I know a lot of people may be thinking I mean “dreaming” in the natural state of sleeping, and though God can speak to us that way, I truly believe dreams that were in our hearts from long ago, were placed inside of us to carry out at the appointed time. 1. To bless others and 2. To develop our faith in believing that when God gives us a desire, He gives us a plan to achieve it in the way that He wants and He will get the glory in the end.
Often times, others don’t always believe us when we say we have a huge dream for our lives. We can feel frustrated, thinking that because it may not have come to fruition, maybe we didn’t hear God correctly or maybe we need to change courses. I also believe, if something good is put on our heart, and we take it to God in prayer, He confirms what He already laid on our hearts to accomplish. Many of our dreams are crushed at young ages because the people we share them with tear them down with their words. Do I believe in sound advice? To navigate purpose and dreams for our lives, we should seek wise counsel. I had to learn that wise counsel wasn’t just anyone who had a listening ear. Just because I was excited to release my vision didn’t mean the person/people on the receiving end would take it and believe alongside me. Usually, the conversation went like this: “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” “Maybe it’s time you gave that up.” Who are we listening to? In the old testament, Genesis 37:8 NLT tells us that Joseph had a dream and when he told his brothers, they mocked him in verse 8; His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.
I know that right now, I have received all the strength and wisdom I need to develop the purpose/dream laid on my heart. I’ve also learned, that I don’t need to share it with everyone to validate what I know God is showing me. And neither do you. We all have BIG DREAMS and DESIRES that were placed inside of us. It is not too late, and God does not look at our shortcomings nor does He look at age before He decides to cause that dream inside of us to come to fruition. One thing I’ve learned, is that preparation is conducive to seeing the dream come to life. I am a second grade teacher, and I have been teaching my students about lifecycle of a Pumpkin. First it starts as a seed. The dream is a seed, and during the life cycle, it takes in nutrients. I see when I pray, believe, and prepare for my dreams those are the nutrients it takes for the dream to grow. You will find many prayers in my Growth journal, asking for direction and when God gives it, I enjoy recording His faithfulness as I see the dream coming to life.
I believe we need to really search deep inside of us, pray about it, and take the steps to reach those dreams. These dreams don’t just bring us to a pleasant places for ourselves. They bring victory in others’ lives as well. Do you want to write a book? Become a blogger? How about a singer/songwriter? How about starting an orphanage? Those are BIG dreams. And sometimes, the very dream that we’re dreaming is not even just for us. There is a bigger picture at hand—to help in the aid of someone else. We get to work alongside of God to dream and assist others within that dream. I see all of my married friends fulfilling their life callings (motherhood and being a wifey) while pursuing BIG dreams. What an inspiration! If you’ve lost hope on a dream, begin to dream again, friend.
Mia Tome, is a 2nd grade teacher with a passion for writing. She recently published a book, and is excited to see how God ministers to women’s hearts through it. When she has down time, she enjoys baking, biking, and DIYing. You can follow her over at @themiss_maria
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