Dreaming

Sometimes dreaming can be exhausting. I get frustrated. I feel like every door is locked tight and every road is a dead end.

Recently it seemed like everything I tried to do failed. One door after another slammed shut on me and I found myself wondering if I was even pursuing the right dream. I was ready to throw in the towel, but then I heard a gentle whisper…

Quit chasing after the dream. Chase after Me.

Yes, I have been guilty of pursuing the dream instead of the Dream Giver. I have been guilty of following my heart instead of searching for His.

The Lord longs to be gracious to you…
How blessed are all those who long for Him…
He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry…
He will answer you…
Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it.”
(from Isaiah 30)

It’s not that God doesn’t want us to pursue our dreams; He does! After all, He is the one who put the dream in our hearts. He wants to dream with us, to be the one whispering in our ear and holding our hand as we walk the path He’s set before us.

In the Disney movie Tangled Rapunzel spent her whole life dreaming of leaving her tower and traveling to the city to see the floating lanterns. Eugene made that dream come true for her. But after her dream was fulfilled there was still something more she longed for. When Eugene quietly whispers to her “you were my new dream” she responds “and you were mine”. It was that moment when she realized what her heart truly longed for. It wasn’t the fulfillment of the dream, but someone to share the journey with.

Yes, I’m a dreamer. But He is my dream. Knowing Him, loving Him, serving Him, following Him; that is the dream I must pursue. And as I draw closer to Him, as my heart longs for more of Him, I hear Him quietly whisper in my ear, “turn here”, “call her”, “ask him”, “knock on this door”. And step by step, hand in hand, He leads me closer to my heart’s desire.

There are times on our journey we need to stop and make sure we’re chasing the Dream Giver and not the dream. Is He all that your heart longs for? Are you close enough to hear Him whispering direction in your ear? Are you captivated by Him? Turn your eyes to the Dream Giver, delight in Him. Then He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

the perfect way

“There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” — Jill Churchill

I’ll never forget the first time I read the quote above.  I felt like I was falling short in every area of my life.

As a wife.

As a friend.

As a Christian.

As a mom.

As a sister.

I had convinced myself there was a right way to fulfill each of those roles. And no matter how hard I tried, I can't make that “right way” work in my season of my life. Have you ever felt that way?

When I read the quote above, it gave me permission to adapt. To figure things out. To let good enough really be good enough sometimes.

There’s no way to be a perfect wife, friend, Christian, mom, sister but there are a million ways to be a good one.

It opened the door to solutions. I have hired a friend to help with household tasks. I sent my friends emails when we couldn’t get together face-to-face. I prayed on my commute to work.

And I survived.

So did my relationships.

My family was not eaten by dust bunnies.  No lightning bolts struck when I occasionally missed church because I needed sleep more than a sermon.

I’m not an advocate of being crazy-busy as a lifestyle. The pace I sometimes go isn't sustainable long-term. But sometimes God calls us to seasons of busyness, difficulties, or challenges and we’ve got to figure out a new normal for that time. If we refuse to adjust and instead firmly cling to our “right way” for everything then we’re asking for burnout and broken relationships.

How do you need to fill in that blank today?

There’s no way to be a perfect ________ but there are a million ways to be a good one.

Give yourself permission to figure out those million ways {or at least a dozen}. It’s okay. You’re not failing–you’re being wise.

This season will pass for you. And then you’ll need new solutions for the next one. All of our lives we’ll be changing, adapting, growing, speeding up, slowing down. That simply means we’re human and we’re alive. Want to stay the same in every season? Consider becoming a rock. Otherwise embrace the freedom that’s yours and relax a bit. As I look back on  crazy times in my life, my only regret is that I didn’t extend even more grace to myself.

you will be ok

You’re going to be okay.

You don’t have to try harder.

You’re loved more than you know.

That’s true no matter what anyone else says or does.

It’s true even if you don’t feel it.

It’s true today.

It will stay that way tomorrow.

And forever too.

a new week

A new week unfolds in front of us like the blank page of a journal. What will be written on it?

I’m not sure. And I imagine you aren’t either. None of us can know what tomorrow holds. But there are some words that we can always count on to be there every day of our lives.

Love – You are loved. Just as you are. More than you know. Nothing that happens this week can change that reality. You’re not going to be alone this week. Not for one day. Not for one moment. Not for even one second.

Grace – You are accepted. Your sins have been forgiven and you are free. Your mistakes and failures can’t separate you from God anymore. You can take risks, make bold decisions, embrace new opportunities because you can’t lose what matters most.

Hope – You have a future that’s good. This week is part of a larger plan, a greater purpose. Even when you don’t understand what he’s doing, God is working on your behalf. He sees the bigger picture of your life and he’s committed to making it beautiful.

Let’s make the most of this week, my friend.

It’s another page of our story.

And we can trust the One holding the pen.

you

Dear You,

It’s so easy to look at the woman across the room, across the sanctuary, across the world wide web and think: “I should be more like her.” We compare clothes, talents, how many friends we have on Facebook. We crave validation and surely if we can be like the people we admire then we will have it.

Yet God doesn’t compare you to anyone else. Not that friend whose house looks like a spread in a magazine. Not the woman in your church who knows how to make everyone laugh at just the right moment. Not even the leader who seems to have a direct line to Jesus while you feel like you’re dialing the wrong number half the time. Not to any of those—or any other woman who has ever been or ever will be. When you gave your life to Jesus you became a “new creation.” Listen closely: it doesn’t say “a new human being.” A new creation.

In other words, God made you into something the world has never seen before and never will again.  Women struggle so much with comparison.

You are a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, a custom design, a work of art.

And when there is only one of something, it’s impossible to compare it.

That means since there’s only one of you, you can’t be compared either. When God looks at you, he sees his handiwork and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. That’s it. The only standard he ever asked you to meet is the one Jesus met in your place. So you are free from being compared.

What do you do instead? Be the you he has created, called, and redeemed you to be. Develop your strengths. Discover your gifts. Do whatever you can to serve those around you with what you have. Display his glory by living fully alive, by beautifully reflecting the part of his image he has crafted into you.

Give yourself permission to stop comparing. And instead start celebrating who you are and the God who made you that way. Then let your heart feel his response…

His incomparable joy.

Someone Who Loves You

{Genesis 1:31, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Philippians 2:1-11}

comfort

No matter what happens today…

God is the same as yesterday,

same as tomorrow.

that is such a comforting thought for me.!!

what really matters

The sink overflows with dishes. Pans and bowls lay scattered across the kitchen. The counters are covered with smudges of who-knows-what. Years ago, this would have sent me into an immediate cleaning frenzy. But tonight I turn off the light and let it go. I step into the warm summer night for a walk with my husband. I read a book on the couch for a few moments. I talk to someone I love on the phone.

When I come back the next morning, the mess is still there. But those moments that really mattered would have been gone forever.

And it turns out my worst fears weren’t realized: the health department failed to show up, a reporter neglected to take photos through my windows, and no one came for my children.  

As I stared at my slightly scandalous kitchen and thought about this I noticed a saying on a sign in the house, “Live fully. Love deeply. Laugh loudly.” And I nodded in agreement at those words.

I’m a person who wants order. I need simplicity and organization. I believe in keeping the dust bunnies somewhat at bay. But there are times when it matters more to make dinner for your friend who just had a baby and leave the dishes on the counter, actually answer the phone, and watch the fireflies come out with someone you love.

Because the dishes will stay but life goes by and you can never get a single day back.

So every once in awhile, just turn off the light and ignore what needs to be done. And when you come back to it, let it remind you of what’s most important in your life.

Because sometimes a mess just means we’re busy with what really matters.