Hello friends! Today’s food for thought is a bit more lengthy than most of my articles, but I promise you it will be worth it. This is something that each & every one of us has struggled with: pursuing a dream. I had so much to say on the matter that it’s more of… a feast for thought than just food for thought. ;)
Recently, a friend of mine has been grappling with some major life decisions. These decisions are largely related to her career path & where God is going to lead her in the next year. Of course she’s struggling with these choices– who wouldn’t? She’s worried she will make the wrong choice. She’s worried that even the right choice will be too difficult to bare. She’s worried that at her point in life, it’s too late to follow her dreams & reinvent herself. These are all worries I have had for myself at some point & the struggle is all too familiar.
As creatives, we often feel these struggles much more deeply than others might. We think & overthink & pray & worry & over-worry. The humorous thing about it is that at the end of the day, it’s not even ours to decide. When God created man, He gave us free will, so of course using our decision-making skills is something we are responsible for. But we are not privy to seeing the master plan for the rest of our lives. It isn’t our privilege nor our burden to know everything. Faith is a really hard thing. We all talk a good game about having faith in God, but truthfully it’s easy to be faithful when decisions are easy. But when the decisions are difficult, it’s easy to fall prey to the simple choice, even if it flies directly in the face of our dreams or what God is telling us. The reality is that the choice that aligns with our dreams is rarely the simple one. The Lord wants us to dream. He wants us to have ambitions & motivation & something to strive for. He wants us to find happiness & fulfillment through His word & through His guidance, no matter our stage in life or the level of difficulty.
In the book of Mark, a passage reminded me of this sweet friend of mine, struggling with hard decisions & begging the Lord for answers. In Mark 9:17-29, a father brings his son to Jesus, possessed by an evil spirit & asks Him to drive the spirit from the boy’s body ‘if you can.’ Jesus replied to the man “‘If you can’? Everything is possible for one who believes.” And just like that, He vanquished the spirit & the boy stood before them. He commanded the spirit out of a boy riddled with convulsions with just the power of prayer. That father had dreamed of a day when his son would no longer be plagued & as impossible as it was, Jesus did it! It also struck me that the scripture reads “Everything is possible,” instead of ‘anything.’ Not just any one thing, but ALL the things. It’s never too late, or too impossible, or too difficult for us to pursue our dreams because everything is possible through prayer & belief. He strengthens us to make hard choices because no matter the outcome, we are surrounded by everlasting support!
So put your head in the clouds & spend a little time dreaming. What are your life goals? If you were able to achieve anything, what would it be? Is there somewhere you’ve always wanted to travel that you’ve given up on? How about a difficult decision you’re trying to make? Now is the time for you to submerge yourself in prayer & make these choices! Take steps without seeing the path ahead. The dreams you have are His dreams for you too. Your dream is possible!
<3
Elaine
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I was nearing the end of the second to last semester of college and at a loss at what I was going to do after graduation. As an English major, jobs that interested me were limited but I always had a fallback option, one I wasn’t thrilled about but would have done and excelled at had I gone down that path. I was at my local library when I KNEW what I was supposed to do, I have explained it as being slapped on the back of the head. Looking back, I feel that all the signs were there but I needed that slap to open my eyes and see that pursuing a job in a library was the career path I had been stressing over. I feel that had I not been struggling with my faith at the time, it would have been clearer, but I’m so very happy I finally found my direction.
I pray that your friend finds her direction, it can be scary but it is also fulfilling to realize you are doing what you are meant to be doing.
I love this. I find it hard to believe that He hears us but then God granted our dreams and now I believe. This is a great reminder. Thanks for the post
Sweet Elaine, no words, love your heart
Amen Elaine! Beautiful spread, beautiful words! <3