“Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”—Harriet Tubman
Have you stopped dreaming? I did! I did not even realize I had stopped dreaming until I was reading “Girl, Wash Your Face.” I got to chapter 6, where we are supposed to write down our dreams. I was stumped. So stumped that I eventually put the book back on a shelf. Honestly, I didn’t want to be reminded that I had stopped dreaming, and was simply existing. I thought about it often, with some degree of shame. Shame that I had allowed myself to take my one precious life, and fallen into a rut.
“Me Naught Naught!”
I took it to prayer but continued to feel stuck in the mud. Until one day I was folding laundry while Peter watched TV nearby. His favorite show, “Wishenpoof!”, showed the main character, Bianca, floating in space. Peter turned to me and said what sounded like, “Me naught naught.” I acknowledged that Bianca was an astronaut. Again he said, “Me naught naught.” Still, I acknowledged that Bianca was an astronaut. He looked at me and said, “No, Mama!”. I leaned down. He reached up and grabbed my face. Looking straight into my eyes, he said, “ME naught naught.” Kneeling in front of him, I asked, “Are you saying you want to be an astronaut?” His face lit up brighter than the sun at the realization that he had been understood. That he had articulated as best he could his very big and genuine dream, and it had been heard.
Let’s say this Mama Bear is an enabler, as is his Mama Bear of a 5th-grade teacher. In the months since then, Peter has acquired a full-blown NASA space outfit with a helmet. He has space books. He looks at pictures and video of his favorite school field trip to the space museum. His Cars/McQueen themed room was expanded to have space and astronauts bordering the ceiling. He completed and presented a school project about astronauts. He shared about this project during his application/interview into a project based art program at the local middle school. And although Peter has low verbal skills as a result of several speech disorders, he can tell anyone who asks that he wants to be an astronaut, to float in space, and go to the moon. He dreams big!
Peter dreaming big was an answer to my prayers. It helped me understand his dreams, but it also gave me the freedom to dream – and dream big.
Now, there are dreams, and there are DREAMS. For each of us, those look so different. I have “dreams” that I consider would be great to have, but I am not committed enough to it to put any effort into it. Laugh all you want, but for years I’ve dreamt about how nice it would be to have toned arms. Weight lifting lasted a whole week. As attractive as I think toned arms are, I enjoy running instead and have never had that soul on fire drive to work on my arms. I use the term “running” loosely because I am as slow as a turtle, often passed by seniors around the track at the Y.
It is, however, when I am running outside that DREAMS come. I know the sweet spot. It is once I am in a rhythm – no longer focusing on my stride and breathing when I’ve cleared my mind of worries, when I’m not distracted. That moment when I let myself slip into a space that that beckons the Holy Spirit to invigorate me. It is in that space that I gain clarity on things that trouble me. It is there that I see solutions to the problems I’m facing. It is then that I can make decisions on situations that I’ve wrestled it. It is when I feel emotionally replenished. It is when images and ideas materialize in a way that spark a fire in my soul – DREAMS. I feel inspired beyond anything I could think up myself. I feel energized, determined, and fearless. A feeling a having purpose. I feel on fire!
Those are the DREAMS I am talking about today!
Now, here is my Christian Mama Bear caveat to all of this. Dreams, those that we are inspired to pursue fearlessly, must not conflict with scripture; they must carry the character and truth of God, they must bear good fruit. They must bring the light of Jesus. That which brings a sense of darkness, defeat, and hopelessness is NOT from God.
Why dream?
There is great potential in dreaming – a potential for not only personal growth but the power to make the world a better place. A purpose I believe all Mama Bears share in common. Our world and how we change it is a personal and individual mission. Don’t ever compare your dreams and hopes and goals and purpose with anyone else! Your God-given purpose is uniquely yours – own it!
Why do we stop dreaming?
Life can so often distract us from real purpose – it invites us into a routine, or overwhelms us to that point that getting through the day seems like the only possible purpose. We all have those days, but don’t let those days be every day. Fear of failure or judgment or rejection are often reasons we don’t try something new or different.
Would you ever look at your child in their eyes and tell them to stop dreaming? To stop dreaming of being a mom to 12 kids, or an engineer, or a doctor or a superhero? Would you look at your child and tell them that there is no value in dreaming, they should find a rut that will take them to their final day? NO! I know you said NO to all of that. So don’t say it to yourself!
The benefits of dreaming.
There are so many benefits to allowing ourselves the time and space to be inspired to dream and dream big. But here are just a few that I am hoping will resonate with your heart, and be nuggets to share with your kids as you remind them never to give up dreaming!
- Spiritual growth – “Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.” – Life’s Little Instructions.
- God-centered life – Our dreams should be God-centered. Inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit.
- Prayer – Listen to the whispers of the Holy Spirit, not just talking.
- I am good at talking, and I can do petitionary prayer all day long. But sitting quietly and listening – truly listening, is an area I continue to work. I have found I listen best when I am out for a run in nature. Find your place.
- Relationship – God-centered dreams require keeping God at the center beyond setting our dreams and goals. Persistent prayer is necessary to seek direction and clarity continually. It will deepen our relationship so that we can more fully trust in His timing and His wisdom.
- Overcome self-limiting beliefs and fears – “Life is short, live bold! Be heard, be you; dream big, take risks, don’t wait.” – Misty Gibbs
- Inner critic – Be aware of your inner critic that contradicts the calling of the Holy Spirit. A friend once shared with me the wisdom her mother would share with her, “The will of God never takes us where the grace of God cannot protect us.” The inner voice that holds you back with self-limiting beliefs and criticism is not from God.
- Fears of the outside – These are most commonly fear of failure, fear of rejection, and fear of judgment or criticism. While we must all know our strengths, limitations, and areas of self-improvement, we must resist the urge to allow others to define and limit us.
- Purpose & goals – “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.“—Walt Disney.
- Priorities – Dreaming that defines purpose and goals also gives us the clarity to identify what we should say yes and no to and to put an order in our days by knowing what is most important to work.
- Courage and perseverance – To pursue our God-given purpose, we need the determination to overcome our limitation, mistakes, and failures. To learn, to be better, to grow.
- Develop new habits – “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
- Taking care of whole self – God invites us to take care of our complete self – mind, heart, body, and soul.
- Our soul connects us to God; our heart connects us to those around us; our mind allows us to solve problems and discern; our bodies give us the tool to pursue our God-centered dreams.
- Change the world! – “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”—Eleanor Roosevelt.
- Our God defines our “world,” and where ever that is, we are His hands and feet. We are His instruments of love.
- When we courageously and boldly and purposefully live the dreams He has inspired, we do change the world!
My dear Mama Bears, don’t merely dream your life, live your dream!
Henry David Thoreau said, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.” So, go, go now – take that first step. Find that space, let go of today, and allow the Holy Spirit to encourage you, inspire you, direct you, and set your soul on fire!
Dream it, own it, do it, live it, and you will make this world a better place!
xoxo
Catherine