Dreaming & Scheming {with truth}

What are your dreams, your life goals? Maybe it's to be a wife/husband, a parent; to raise a family. Maybe it's to have a stable lifestyle or run your own business. It could possibly be to own a house, or write a book, or travel the world. Or maybe, just maybe....it's to be a photographer for National Geographic and a missionary in a foreign country at the same time.    
(Ok, that last one was my dream as a teenager, and then I married a guy who loves photography and has a heart for missions so maybe God? One day?)
I don't know what your dream may be, but what I do know is that almost anyone could could say that they want to have purpose in their life. Everyone wants to just be honestly and wholly content in what they're doing everyday. I realize that what that looks like is different for each person. But (from personal expereience) the truth I'm coming to realize is that, no matter what your dream is, sometimes it's what you hoped it would be, and sometimes? It's just....not.

There are two sides to dreams and working them into reality: sometimes working towards them is thrilling, soul-bursting, joyful and fulfilling. You're doing what you love and you know it's where you're supposed to be. You're at home in this element and motivation comes easy. You know that this is what you want to do with your life.

And then sometimes working for your dream is tiresome, mundane, and grinding. You have nights of staying-up-late-until-your-eyeballs-ache-from-exhaustion kind of nights. You fight with your spouse because you both have conflicting ideas about where you want your dream to go. Nothing is clear and everything feels out of your control. You cry and feel a bit addled because you're not sure what the next step is?  Sometimes realizing your dream is just.plain.hard.

But more and more…..I'm learning that what 'realizing your dream' really means is surrendering.

My Heavenly Father knows our heart. He created us with these desires and abilities and He wants us to be fulfilled, to find meaning and purpose in our life. I'm finally seeing that the only way to do that is by surrendering my hopes and dreams to His plan and sovereign will. 

Surrendering our dreams to God's will doesn't necessarily mean that everything will magically get easier. In fact, giving over yourself to Jesus Christ and His plans might be the hardest thing you've ever done. It's an ongoing process that's scary and most definitely not safe. No, living a life surrendered doesn't mean it's all smooth sailing. But what it does mean is that we'll have the grace to keep going on the hard days. It means we'll have the Holy Spirt's wisdom renewing and guiding us all along the way. And above all else, whatever we do for the glory of God is never, ever in vain.

Where are you at as you read this? Are you in the adrenaline rushed phase of seeing your dream come to fruition or in the toil and struggle of working hard to actually make it happen? Or maybe you're in the third place: reevaluating everything about what you thought you wanted and surrendering it all to Jesus.

Honestly for Jonathan and I, it's a combination of the second and third place. We're longing to really get our photography business off the ground and it's not exactly easy right now. But God is pouring grace and encouragement in from unexpected places and we're praying for the self-discipline needed to complete the task set before us.

Many of my friends and family are in one or all of these places. I want them to know how proud I am at their stepping out in faith and having the courage to not give in to complacency. I hope they know that I sympathize with their pain in waiting and working as well. And for all, I ask God to give them His wisdom for their personal journeys.

To sum up: I could go rambling on with more words and pictures but that's not what we need. I'll end the post by asking you to listen to a song that has ministered to and challenged my heart greatly over the years. It's words and melodies are infused with truth and hope that I pray the Lord will use to break and heal you simultaneously. So right now,  right here.....maybe you should get away from everyone? Possibly put in your headphones and make yourself a quite space and click HERE. You and I both need this truth.

Persevere and be brave, loved ones