More Than My Dreams

 This coming weekend I will be attending the State twirling competition in the Kansas City area.  I have two teams that will be competing on Saturday, and four girls who will be competing in the solo competition on Sunday.  Growing up, it was always a dream of mine to be Miss Majorette of America.  Although, I never reached this goal, my parents and I sacrificed much in order for me to follow this dream.  As a nationally ranked twirler, placing top ten in the advanced division each year, I would say much of our hard work paid off!  My parents always told me if I worked hard, I could become anything I wanted to be.  They were so supportive, and would give anything to help me accomplish my goals.  Eventually, as a senior in high school, I discovered that my passion for twirling was no longer quite as strong.  I knew how much practice it would take to accomplish my "dream", and frankly I wanted to be able to do those things I had always missed out on - like summer church camp, mission trips, etc.

As for my future career . . . often times I was asked what I "wanted to do when I grow up", or what I was planning to "major in" once attending college.  I went from wanting to be a author/illustrator in 2nd grade, to a lawyer in 6th grade, an Orthodontist from 7th grade to 10th grade, and I finally decided to become a teacher my senior year of high school. I never planned to be a teacher in the public school for my entire life, but I felt it was a good field to go into since I was already familiar with the system, and if my kids went to public school I could have the same schedule as them.  It seemed like a good choice for a girl who really wanted to prioritize being a wife and momma.

I remember the summer after my senior year of high school reading through the book "The Dream Giver" by Bruce Wilkinson.  When a friend, who was reading through the book with me asked what my dream was, I thought about it long and hard.  Sure, I had wanted to succeed in baton twirling, but that passion was no longer there.  Perhaps someday I would own a baton & dance studio or maybe a Christian athletic center.  However,  when I took an honest look at the desires God had place in me since I was a little girl . . . all I could come up with was that I truly wanted to be a wife and a momma.  My friend responded by saying,  "You should probably have another dream besides that."

Later after graduating college, a friend of mine gave me information on how to discover my "mission".  When I told her I really felt God was calling me to be a wife and a mom.  She said, almost without hesitation, that I should have something in addition to this that God is calling me to. She proposed that if I enjoyed children, maybe it would be something with spreading the Gospel to kids!

Now I do believe that God has a special purpose for each one of us, and I do believe that when we seek Him with all that we are, He will give us the desires of our hearts.  I am not sure yet of all the ways He intends to use me.    However, what I am learning is that maybe it's not supposed to be about "My Dreams".  I have come to understand that it's really so much more!

This little post was actually written because I wanted to share with you another post written by Kelly Crawford at Generation Cedar that is entitled, "Why I'm Not Teaching My Children To Follow Their Dreams".  Wow!  Now that's a title that will catch your attention!  It seems to go against everything we are told is right and good, but as Christians, maybe "following our dreams" really goes against all that we say we believe.

Here are a few words from her post:

"I could write a book about all the ways a woman is free to “be all she can be” and still remain in the realm of helpmeet and keeper at home, about the glories of being freed from the slavery of someone else’s clock and schedule and agenda.

But before all of that, we must be grounded in the basic teaching of Scripture about the call of a Christian, which directly opposes the teaching of feminism.

I can not find anything in Scripture that encourages us to “follow our dreams”. In fact, quite the contrary. My Bible says to “deny yourself and follow Me”. Oprah Winfrey says to “follow your dreams”.

Now the irony is that if we desire obedience above all else, He will give us the desires of our heart. But obedience is paramount; not following my dreams.

(As an aside, since coming home to work full time for my family, my “dream” of becoming a writer has become a reality in ways I never could have planned on my own. I know He cares about our loves and gifts.)

This is why man’s wisdom is so dangerous. It is most often driven by flesh–my dreams, my goals, my my desires. Obedience requires faith to do what I cannot understand; to believe what may not make sense."
 
To read more click here.

Yes, it is about so much more than my dreams! Yet God who is so faithful and good has already given me MORE THAN MY DREAMS when I have simply followed Him!