Harvest of Future Dreams

Today, in this last post in my series on dreams and dreaming, there are 2 observations I'd like to make.  I hope with all my heart that they will warm the heart and challenge the mind.
The first is that we are not promised tomorrow, so we have no time to even visit the idea of quitting. The second is that we have the power to carry someone else toward their dreams if we will continue to work.
We have to remember that God's fires were not lit in our hearts without purpose.  Our job is to continue planting seeds of hope, work, encouragement, passion, any good thing we have to give.  Just like in an actual garden, every seed probably won't take root, but some will, and the harvest can be delicious. 
"All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today."  This proverb is certainly true, so we must be mindful to plant.  We are not promised that we will actually even see the harvest.  Just as every gardener must await the beauty of the blossoms, not one person is guaranteed another day to walk the garden path.  Yet the fruits of labor still grow even if the planter cannot see them.
Can we not still taste the fruits of the Apostle Paul's work?  the work of Louis Pasteur? Thomas Jefferson? Ben Franklin?  Jonas Salk?
In his work to develop a vaccine for the highly contagious disease, polio, Salk must have had times he wanted to quit.  He is credited with saying, "I have had dreams and I have had nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams."  So many have reaped the harvest of his continued work through the rapid decline of this debilitating disease.  In February 1954, the first round of vaccines was given to school children. There is no way for anyone to know how many lives were saved and how much good has come from the lack of suffering and disease.  How different might the world be if men like Salk had let their nightmares dictate their actions?

Months ago, our community was heartbroken by an unexpected tragedy. Two godly young men left us too soon.  At the time, so many questions pounded on my heart: Why so young? Why such good men?  How will their sweet families cope with losing such wonderful souls?  What will happen to their church?
But what I note about these precious gardeners is what lovely seeds they planted.  The world will continue to harvest the beautiful flowers of love, faith, friendship, and hope they scattered.  They planted and tended to their dreams in such a way that they left a legacy for their young wives and children.  They helped raise up young people in their church and community.  They left here a garden of beauty which will not die away but will continually reproduce itself.  
I believe that is what God expects of us all-- that we continue in our work because even if we don't see the fruit of the dreams we plant, we may help to make another soul's dream come true.
From dreamer to dreamer, keep planting, keep tending, and may God give you Grace, Love, and a Bountiful Harvest.

Don't Rush It

❤Dreams don't happen with microwave quickness. 

Think about the very best meal you ever had. I'll just bet it didn't come out in less than five minutes. Someone took the time to make it, with love and passion and all the perfect ingredients. Just like our grandmothers and grandfathers have told us: anything worth having is going to take hard work and time. Unfortunately, that's where we lose some of our fellow dreamers. Many don't want to put in the work or the time it takes to get what they want. 

I recall being a child on the 4th of July.  Our family always gathered to eat together, and we usually had BBQ, grilled by my Daddy and Granddaddy.  I remember the delicious smells of the grill making their way to my nostrils, and I wondered if we would ever get to eat.  It seemed to take forever!  In the meantime, Daddy would occasionally have me running errands from the kitchen to the pit, and he'd let me sneak a preview bite once in awhile.  That seemed to make the wait time a little easier to bear.

Waiting on a dream is much like waiting on our favorite, most tantalizing meal.  Oh how tempting it is to complain or to go fill up on junk.  We may stomp our foot and sigh a heavy, frustrated sigh.  We may fill our time and effort with things that don't matter or even please our taste.  All the while our Father is showing us that if we add to the effort, if we contribute more to the task, we will be occupied in the making of the delicacies that we are anticipating.

Let's face it: chicken from the grill is delicious, but when chicken isn't done... YUCK!  Nobody wants it.  Just like a yummy meal from the grill can't be rushed, neither should we try to rush our dreams.  God's timing is perfect.  Our job is to work and wait.  He will finish what He starts in us giving us a satisfying and full life.

Remember, there's nothing wrong with being hungry if that hunger drives you to work hard for good things.  Here's to a satisfying, productive day dreamers! Grace to you as you work and wait.

Not Just For You

❤Your dreams mean something to God. 

Remember Joseph in Genesis?  He didn't really know why God put the dreams in his heart.  Some might have said the manifestations of his sleep could have come from a meal of bad lamb and too many bitter herbs, but Joseph knew there was something more than indigestion causing his nights to be full of visions.  If you don't know the story, I encourage you to get hold of a Bible and read it starting in Genesis 37.  

I don't mean to be a spoiler, but Joseph's can-do, will-do mindset pretty much carries an entire nation (more than one nation actually) to salvation, freedom, and fortune. 

I don't think any of us realize the impact we make on others by continuing to feed the fires of passion that God sparks in our hearts. 

Through Joseph a nation was saved. Through Hannah a prophet was born who would advise kings, all because she would not give up on her dream to have a child. 

Think about Alexander Fleming and Jonas Salk. These men saw a the vision, put the work behind it and because they didn't ignore the passion in their hearts, many people are still healed by the results of their work even today. Salk, the medical researcher who developed the polio vaccine is credited with saying, "There is hope in dreams, imagination, and in the courage of those who wish to make those dreams a reality."

God did not just place your dream in your heart to give you something to do. It is not just for you. So when you are tempted to give up, to slow down, or to get complacent, remember the domino effect. You have been made to make your mark. Don't miss it!

Is there anyone who has had a profound effect on the way you pursue your dreams?  Let them know!  Encourage your encourager.

Send a letter. Make a call. Tell them!

Grace & joy to you from the RED DIRT. 

What happened to your dreams?

What about you dreams?
Are you doing a little each day to reach them?  Or have you written yourself off as ordinary?  Have you already reached your dreams and now you are without direction, without purpose?
There is hope! Get up and move!
This may sound bossy, but there are plenty of people out in the world just existing. They get up (maybe).  They get through the day. They show no passion towards anything or anyone. They spread a little ho-hum, a little hum drum, a little blah, and probably a little meh. Then they go report to anyone who'll listen, a lot of negativity, jealousy, and bitterness. Do NOT join their club!
This is for the active, get-it-done dreamers, the once-ago dreamers, & the once-again dreamers. Today is your day! 
God did not put something in your heart that He didn't intend for you to pursue. Don't give up and don't give in! You may feel like you aren't getting anywhere, but just like the pit-stops and scenery on a road trip can be just as much fun as the final destination, the events that happen along the way to a goal are sometimes pretty important. 
The bumps and delays may not be all about you. Your dream-chasing often paves the path for other chasers who are going in a similar direction. In fact, in your pursuit, you may even provide the vehicle for other dreamers to travel. Don't think that because you can't see the end that you aren't getting anywhere. 
So get up trailblazer! Get out your map and move on! There is treasure for those who seek it!  
Post a comment about what you are doing this week to keep your dream journey fresh. And tune in all week to follow my series on renewing the dreamer in you. See y'all on the trail! 
Grace and peace from the Red Dirt. 

Excellence --What We're Made For

Are you just getting by? Running from duty to duty? practice to practice? meeting to meeting? Doing what you have to do, but not always what you want to do? Wondering when rest will come? And maybe feeling a little numb?

There is a reason for that.  We as humans aren't designed for just getting by.

We are designed to pursue excellence (1Timothy 6:11, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27). When we live our lives just barely getting by, we aren't accepting the free gift of abundant life that we have been offered in Christ. That isn't what God wants for us, and a life lived outside of His will can cause boredom, discomfort, and unrest. 

God did not make us for that. He made us to be passionate & powerful (2 Timothy 1:7). He made us to get filled up to overflowing so that our passion and excitement spills out onto those around us. When we live that out, we feel free (Philippians 2:17). 

Stifling our creativity & holding back our passions has  paralyzed our true identities. Sometimes it even makes us question who we are & what our purpose truly is.

It's time we stop doing this. We only have a little time on this earth. It's time we each step into our true calling and pursue it with all our might. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Just getting by is like wearing shoes that are too small. You might get used to them but they will cause damage to your feet. Eventually you will have to deal with the pain. I don't know about you but I'm ready to put on the shoes that will help me win the race God has given me to do, not just amble along barely getting anywhere.

Join me this week as I get back to my passions, as I start to remember my dreams and how they were placed in my heart by a God who loves me and desires my all.  My teachable spirit is ready to listen, pen in hand, running shoes tied on.  I can't wait to share what I'm learning.  I hope it brings as much joy and renewal to you as it is bringing me.

Grace and joy overflowing from our Red Dirt.