Dreams RedeemedSample

One beautiful Saturday morning, I watched my sweet 3-year old daughter as she slept peacefully. I had been eagerly waiting for her to wake up, because I planned to surprise her with her favorite breakfast and take her out on a movie and ice cream date.   

I gently swept the hair away from her forehead and began caressing her cheek. “Wake up little sleepy head,” I whispered in her ear.   

Suddenly, her arms and legs flailed about as she flew into a raging tantrum. “Noooooo! I don’t want to wake up,” she screamed ferociously. Her little, angelic face twisted into a scowl and turned the color of a turnip. 

My heart sank. Besides being flustered by her outburst, I was thoroughly disappointed that we wouldn’t be able to have the fun day I had dreamed up for her. 

My daughter wanted to stay in bed, right where she was. She was comfortable in her dreamy slumber. Her wild protest caused her to miss out on something really great. No way I was going to take her on our special date and reward the tantrum. If she knew what I had in store for her, would she have behaved differently? If she trusted my plan, if she trusted me, would she have had a different response? 

I wonder if I have ever missed out on what God has in store for me, because I was too consumed with staying comfortable where I was. Too focused on what I wanted. 

Sometimes, we want what we want, and we think it’s what we need. But if we really trust that God is good and His plan is good, we will listen. We will follow—even when it disrupts our own plans and moves us out of our comfort zone. Even when it means that it’s time to let go of relationships, habits, or pain that has been holding us back.   

Trust is at the very foundation of faith—to have faith in God is to trust His plan, even when we don’t understand it. It is also the foundation of the God dream for our life. In the times when it felt as if life as I knew it was completely falling apart, trust in God gave me a firm place to stand. 

"Wake up, darling. Open your eyes. Come with me. I have something wonderful planned for you. In order for you to experience what I have in store for you, you can’t stay where you are. It’s time to move forward, my love." 

I believe God is inviting you and I into a plan that is more amazing than our imaginations can fathom. One that will include restoration and redemption of all that has been lost and stolen. The question is, will we trust Him enough follow?