Today's post is by guest writer Joanne Beckley.
Personal dreams give us many hours of pleasure and create hope. Some will come true because we make choices that make them possible. Some may not come true but develop in ways we may never have imagined. And some are just wistful and never could be.
As a young girl I had lots of dreams. Some silly and outlandish and some I REALLY wanted to come true. Some I thought would be possible, but all those dreams kept me on track. They were important to me for just maybe... And so I grew up. Here are a few that I remember:
- Grow up pretty (although Mother kept reminding me to concentrate on a beautiful heart)
- Give my heart to God
- Marry a preacher man who would take me to Africa
- Design and build a house to hold my family.
As I dreamed and grew up, I learned that life and fulfilling dreams contain a series of tests. Each test would either make or break my spirit, and determine how near I am to God. There was schooling, housework, cooking, and music. I had a very sick mother and as the eldest daughter I grew up trying to hold my family together. This was a challenge for this butterfly girl, flitting from flower to flower. Yet, with a backbone and dreams, the mix can work and did.
Now at the age of 76, I can look back and see God’s hand in some of those dreams. I obeyed the gospel at the age of 13. In some ways, it was too early. The knowledge was there, the conviction and commitment was there. I just needed to finish growing up! (And for Christ, shouldn’t we all?) I never did let go of my preacher-man dream and chose to attend Florida College where I was determined to get all the Bible courses I could. One of the professors facilitated this and I learned to buckle down (after a strong reminder from my dad for his butterfly girl...) Lo and behold, a spiritually minded man was lurking there and I learned what real love can be. Some eight years and three babies later, he did indeed take me to Africa, he to preach, and we both had the opportunity to reach out to many with the gospel. What an adventure those near 33 years were!
I never did get to design and build a house...
Day dreams do carry hope, but our dreams need something a lot more substantial in order to create a strong hope as we live out our lives. That real and steadfast hope can only be found in God. He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works...Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness,..Let Thy lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us, According as we have hoped in Thee, Psa 33:15,18,22.
The first mention in the Bible of lost hope and lost dreams was Naomi. After losing her husband and both adult sons, notice the conclusion of her reply to her daughters-in-law:
"Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me" Ruth 1:12,13. She blamed God. It was not until she held Ruth’s son was she able to regain hope. Too often when we lose cherished dreams, we equate them with lost hope because our faith in God is not as strong as we first thought. At times you and I have had to face this unpalatable truth and must reassess not only our faith but also our dreams.
There are other women mentioned in the Bible that allowed their dreams to dictate their lives and their values. Each time their hopes were dashed and it becomes clear to the reader that God, the giver of all hope, was not paramount in their lives.
Yes, dreams can change or die and new dreams can develop and become not only a new reality but can even become a blessing to others. There was a woman whose dreams died, and yet her actions afterward helped to save the Israelite nation! King David, in trying to return Israel back into God’s good graces, chose to have Rizpah’s two sons and five other men be hung to appease wrong done to the Gibeonites. She spread out sackcloth on a rock and protected all seven bodies for five months. When her act was told to David, he had the bones buried along with Saul and Jonathan’s. “After that God was moved by entreaty for the land” (2 Sam 21:14) and the plague lifted.
Most young girls dream of a husband and children, of having an admired place among her neighbors. Anna was one such girl. She married a fine man, but he died after seven years of marriage. Luke tells us that she chose to live and serve in the temple until the age of eight-four. “And she never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers” (Luke 2:37b). Although this widow’s dreams were dashed, she understood where her strength lay. God was her rock and her shield (Psa 18:2). Anna lived with hope, “giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:28).
Take time and consider the dreams you have held from childhood and of those you hold to this day. Like mine, I’m sure some have come true–by yours and God’s efforts–and others you have had to let go and replace with other dreams.
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Eph 1:18-19).
Daniel 12:13 "But as for you, go [your] way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise [again] for your allotted portion at the end of the age."
Joanne Beckley
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