Dreamscaping 6--God sized dreams need God sized love

“The LORD will work out his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” Psalm 138:8 NLT

  

This verse contains one of my favorite words in the Hebrew language, Hesed.  It is the essence of the love described in I Corinthians 13--the Love chapter.  I love that it's in this particular verse because it is His lovingkindness--His Hesed--that reassures me that God's dreams are worth pursuing, because He is the one who will work it all out. 

The cry of the psalmist is honest.  Sometimes, as we move forward into the planning stages for the dreams God has given us, it suddenly becomes obvious that God only does God-sized things.  Without Him doing it, it won't get done.  We get the joy of joining Him in it, but make no mistake:  only God does miracles.

 

 

He created us to join Him in the miracles He does, no less than He made Peter bold enough to ask to walk on water with Him.  Something strange happens then...we realize we've stepped into something much bigger than we can do--and it's scary.  That's when Jesus grabs us, pulling us out of the wind and waves that scared us and chuckles, "Why did you doubt?"  His tender mercies could never let us drown.  He made us for this. 

For those who love to read as much as I do, I have a couple of book recommendations:   

You Were Born For This and The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson.  Both are outstanding and talk candidly about the decions we have to make when we realize that this dream of God's is beyond what we can do. 

Dreamscaping 5...A dream becomes a plan

Nehemiah gives a great example of a dream becoming reality.  Here are some of the steps he experienced: 

Compassion: "They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”  When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. "  Neh 1:3-4

A need shared:  So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.”  Then I was terrified, ³ but I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”  ⁴ The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” 

A Joint request:  With a prayer to the God of heaven, ⁵ I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” Neh 2:2-4

Team reconnaissance:  I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding.--Neh 2:12

There's much more to seeing a plan come to fruition, but I love the way that God directs all that He leads us into...

Dreamscaping 4...Visioning as a guide to action

"Where there is no vision, the people perish:
but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."
--Pr 29:28 (KJV)

The vision alluded to in this verse is God's perspective of what is to come, of what He desires to come to pass--it is His dream for us and for those we impact.  As a parent this concept has been foundational to everything I do, but for awhile I lost that vision.

When my first son was born, I had an idea--a vision--of the kind of man I wanted him to grow to be--the kind of man that would make God proud.  Everything I did as a parent was framed in light of that vision.  Correction was loving and consistent because I wanted him to understand the nature of God's laws and character.  Immediate obedience was always the goal because I wanted him to grow to obey God immediately, with loving trust that His rules were for PJ's good. 

When Katie was born with Down syndrome, one of the most disorienting issues was that I couldn't envision who Katie would be as an adult, and every attempt on my part just brought up more pain.  It was a devastating time.  Without that vision, I lost the will to correct her and demand of her behavior and attitudes that would befit a Godly future.  I floundered.  Many times, she floundered.  PJ was in the middle of a neurological crisis I couldn't see at the time but my hesitancy as a parent didn't help. 

A few years ago, I was at a conference put on by the local DS support group where one of the speakers gave a passionate talk about the vision she had crafted for her son when he was just two.  From there, all of her actions and planning were guided by that vision.  Nearly all of those goals have been achieved by her son who is now in his 20's and he is wiser, stronger and more popular than any would have believed possible. 

Her talk reminded me of the vision I had lost for my own daughter.  I can't say that I have completely regained that vision yet, but yesterday PJ and I worked together to create a daily schedule and a list of goals for him and his sister that will help her move toward them.  It's a start. 

What is God's vision for those you impact?  Have you asked?

Dreamscaping 3...Heart sickness or a tree of life?

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life."
                                        --Pr. 13:12

Most of the time we think of this verse relating to hopes that haven't come to pass yet, but what about the hopes we haven't fulfilled for ourselves by following through on them?  Maybe the reason so many older people die of heart disease has more to do with abandoned hopes than arterial blockages.  On the other hand, if a dream fulfilled is a tree of life, then maybe the fountain of youth is found as we chase the dreams God has for us and delight as He fulfills them when we had lost all hope. 

Don't be afraid to chase God's dreams for you no matter how old or young you are.  If it's His dream, He will make it happen--you only have to hang in there so you can get to watch Him do it. 

Frankly, I needed to hear that myself today.  I have a dream of my own that has little to do with Senior Dreamscaping, but I also fear failure--in other words, my heart is failing as I consider moving forward.  I long for that tree of vitality and life that will come with its fruition. 

Father, Friend...Help us move forward with Your dreams and keep our hearts from failing.  Fulfill what You have placed within our hearts for we need Your lifegiving hope.

Dreamscaping and waiting...

"Until the time came to fulfill his dreams,
    the Lord tested Joseph’s character."
--Psalms 105:19

Two thoughts come to mind here...

1. Whose dream was it?  Was it Joseph's dream or God's dream given to Joseph?  Or both?

2.  Dreams take awhile. 

Continuing my series on Senior Dreamscaping, some may question, "If it was God's dream, why did it take so long?" 

When God gives a dream, it may involve work, but it's not you doing the work.  Since I'm not driving, it's easy to say, "Are we there yet?" 

God's work is more like pregnancy than a do-it-yourself project.  The dream may be implanted by the Father but it's yours to carry.  It's slow.  It stretches you.  It moves from uncomfortable to downright painful.  You are not likely to ever be the same.  You are tested by it and the test imprints itself on you. 

A dear friend of mine just had her third child.  We met every week throughout the time and I watched as she got big (early) and then bigger and bigger.  Her son had a nasty habit of stubbornly pushing on her ribs.  Before the baby came, she cleaned and prepared. That's really all she could do. Once it came, there was even more to do, but she still has no more control over her child's growth than when she carried it. The growth is God's to do.  The care is ours. 

She had wanted a natural childbirth, but ended up with a C-section--and the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck twice.  A natural birth would have killed him.  Things didn't work out the way she wanted--she knew it might not--but after all that waiting she had a wonderful son and it was worth every minute, every pain, every irritating shove. 

Dreamscaping...

I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your old men will dream dreams,
and your young men will see visions.--Joel 2:28

Today I joined a couple of ladies during their normal prayer time at my parent's church.  They always have a team on duty during the service to pray--but this was no ordinary prayer time.  During our time, we talked with each other in a prayerful attitude and as the conversation wound its way around, we began to talk about a new kind of Senior ministry. 

Both these women are retired and though their bodies can't quite do what they have in the past, their hearts and minds are as active as ever.  I related how my dad, who has always been active and engaged in ministry, is struggling right now in his retirement because he has so little to do.  I asked him earlier this week about what he has always dreamed of doing but never had time to do and he couldn't remember.  Then as we were talking this morning, I remembered that I catch the best ideas when I meet together with my colleagues and friends.  They also help me remember the ones I've wanted to follow. 

The Holy Spirit, my great friend, then congealed an idea He had implanted earlier in the week.  It involves a weekly or biweekly meeting of seniors to dream again--dream of opportunities not yet gone, dream of ministry needs and solutions, dream of God's dreams for them.  This group could then support each other as they plan and implement the dreams God has laid on each one's heart.  Meeting frequently would give them the chance to keep each other accountable for making progress on their dreams.   One of the women said they often felt pushed aside or unneeded.  This was the kind of idea they wanted and needed to help them move forward when no one else was pushing them.  We prayed together for God's wisdom and will--for courage to move forward and stamina to see it through.  We cried together in gratitude and expectation as we prayed.

These lovely ladies live in Georgia, where my parents live.  I live in Orlando--6 hours away.  I can't make this dream come true for them.  In truth, I couldn't even if I did live here.  As a daughter, I could prophesy it over them, but they will need to dream.  It needs to be directed by seniors, for seniors so that they can minister together for all of us.  We still desperately need them. 

This afternoon, I looked through the Bible to get a vision for what God dreams for us.  Over the next few days, I'll post the scriptures I found and some thoughts about each one.  I hope it will excite you as much as it has me.

God is good...

Not much more to say, but it's true and it's enough.