Adjusting the Dream
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14
They had dreams. Big ones. I could see it in their eyes.
A stream of young men filed down the aisle past our row on the airplane. They each looked strong and hungry. For more.
Their shirt logos revealed the source of their hopes: boxing. Confident and courageous, they had minds set on a dream, somewhere out there.
I think back to my own youth.
On what did I pin my dreams? On a husband? On raising my kids?
What did I want to succeed in, beyond anybody’s wildest imagination? (Certainly not my initial pursuit: a career in accounting.)
And what now? Some dreams are wrecked already (like running a marathon—I hadn’t anticipated a slow-down in my body by this age. Who does?).
With age and with pain, my dreams have shifted. While I can’t do everything I had imagined, I can do other things in other areas that I never imagined in my teens and 20s.
The biggest dream is a deeper relationship with my Maker. That can’t be stopped by arthritic knees or an aching back or reduced energy.
God has no limits and he is the one in charge of fulfilling dreams.
Some of the young men on our flight might fulfill their earthly dreams and become boxers of renowned fame. Others may become distracted or injured or discouraged. Their dreams will shift. By necessity or by choice.
But if they’re wise, they’ll learn to bank their dreams on a Dreammaker who can’t be thwarted by bodies and circumstances and illnesses. And they’ll press on to a higher goal.
Father,
We thank you for giving us dreams and hope.
We praise you for knowing which dreams to fulfill and which ones to let go. May we always trust your wisdom and be grateful for your sovereign plan.
In the end, you make our best dreams come true.
* * *
REVISED FOR THE ARCHIVES
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Chronic Pain Devotionals
Hmmmm. You have also found out age is not always a blessing? Achy knees? There. Cranky back. There. Sore joints. There. Loving life? There. My current dreams are many but one i want is to go down swinging. What I mean is that I will serve Jesus until my last breath and not give up. Thanks for devo on redirection Lisa.
Loved this, Lisa. The final line brought tears to my eyes: “In the end, you make our best dreams come true.” We do need to adjust our earthly dreams as we get older, but our relationship with God is eternal.
Just like it says in the Bible; when we delight ourselves in the Lord, He would give us the desires of our hearts, because then, our desires would be in line with His will for us. Thanks for sharing, Lisa. Many blessings to you!
Good post, Lisa. We all have changed/shifted our dreams a bit but the Dreamgiver is faithful to give us the best ones. My husband and I are having yet another dream come to fruition before the year is over. We have purchased a Tiny House and moving onto a lake in SC. So how about that? One is never too old to dream.
God will always be the one Dreammaker we can always count on. Coincidentally, in my next blog post, I touch on aging, and the things I can no longer think about doing, but there is so much I, and you, can still accomplish with God’s help.
Blessings, Lisa!
Lovely and hopeful Lisa. Thank you for sharing!
xo
Lynn
This is so true, Lisa. The dreams I had as a child changed by the time I was a teenager, then a college student, then a young mother, and so on. In some ways, aging helps narrow down the choices–there are some things I can’t do any more. And it’s funny, I don’t regret some of the dreams that never came to fruition. I realize God knew me better than I knew myself, and those would never have worked. A couple still cause a pang of regret or sadness, but I know God has His reasons. Just this morning I was arrested by the phrase in 2 Corinthians 4:8: “perplexed, but not driven to despair.” I don’t know, maybe a post of perplexities is brewing. 🙂
This is something that all of us can relate to. I mean who doesn’t have dreams?
I thank God for the dreams I’ve realized… and also for the ones He’s spared me from. Grace happens even when we don’t feel like it is.
“The biggest dream is a deeper relationship with my Maker.” Amen! Thank you, Lisa, for reminding me that absolutely nothing can stop that dream. You have encouraged my heart today as I realize I’ve been too often sitting discouraged in a pile of those broken dreams instead of rejoicing in the biggest dream that will never, ever be crushed. Love and blessings to you!
So often you hear the words the dream shattered. I like your talk about dream shifting and the focus on the Dreammaker. What a delightful name for God. I need to take that into my journal and prayers. Thanks, Lisa!!
I’ve begun praying Jesus’s words early and often to remind myself that my dreams need to be formed around His kingdom, His will. I get off course SO easily, imagining that it’s all about me.
Yes! Our biggest dream should always be a deeper relationship with the Lord. It’s easy to lose track of that, but it truly is the most important part!