Dreams Bigger Than Your Plans

I was frustrated with myself the other day when I realized that my idea of dreaming big was dreaming of the same things as everyone else.  In fact I think I was considering dreaming big as dreaming of what most people plan on.  My idea of dreaming with God was to dream of having a future.  I dreamt of graduating college, of falling in love, of working for Holt International, and of having a family. 

Now those don’t sound like very big dreams do they?

I serve a Big God who has proven to be bigger than my circumstances.  I do not live in a prison of disease.  I live in the freedom of faith.  Statistics have failed and my soul has prevailed.  I get to dream with a God who has the power to do more than I can fathom.  I get to dream bigger than I used to dare hope.  I can dream of miracles, living to see the day Cystic Fibrosis is cured.  I can dream of complete healing, of being able to breathe, hike, and run.  I can dream of a day that I am not surrounded by medicine.  I can dream of crossing borders to help, love, and maybe even save others.  I can dream of finishing a biography, of being a motivational speaker, of helping the broken in a different way.  Perhaps I could learn to dream so big that I could eliminate my worst fears. 

Maybe if I could learn how to think big, dream big, because I serve a big God, then my dreams would be real dreams, something worthy of dreaming.  My old dreams could turn into plans; those thoughts could be investments in my future.  People often say live like there is no tomorrow.  But that is my problem; I spend too much time in the present.  I see a 5-year plan or a 10-year plan as too big, too far away, too uncertain, and easily unattainable.  I live in a world of right now’s because I am afraid there is no future. 

At first I rationalized my fear as making me a realist.  I felt that living solely in the present was a good thing.  It made me open up more.  It made my desire to love stronger.  It taught me to cherish the things, rather the people in life that matter.  But that fear has crippled my ability to dream and diminished the power of my God. 

Jesus talks about how He loves childlike faith.  When we were children everything felt big and nothing seemed impossible.  Our parents were our superheroes.  They knew everything and could fix anything.  They were our protectors, our comforters, and our providers.  They believed in us and we believed in them. 

So when did I stop having that faith in my God, my Father?  When did I put limitations on what was possible?  God as my Father knows everything, can fix anything, He is my protector, my comforter, and my provider.  He believes in me and I believe in Him.  So why did I diminish my dreams amidst that faith?

Fear held me back.

Dreams were stolen.  I was broken.  I learned that life wasn’t fair and that pain was inevitable.  I bought into the lie that because I controlled my dreams, I had control over some of life’s pain and that meant I should protect myself.  If I didn’t dream too big, I wouldn’t fall so far.  If I didn’t fall so far, I could always pick myself back up and if I could pick myself up, that meant I was okay.  If I didn’t expect, if I didn’t hope, I wouldn’t be disappointed. 

Believing I could protect myself was a lie.  Believing that it was MY job to protect myself was a lie. All I did was limit God, dismiss His joy, and unsettle His peace within me. 

I read a quote today.  “A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman.  It’s only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” – Steven Pressfield

I want to have the faith of a child where I believe in the BIG.  I want to dream like a genius that believes nothing is impossible.  And I want to live like a madman whose fear doesn’t hold him back.   

Are your dreams BIG enough?  Have you asked God to help you dream beyond the boundaries you have placed?  If you dream with God you don’t have to fear failure. 

I know that even now my idea of dreaming big is small compared to God’s dreams for me.  But to me, these dreams feel big because I have no control over making them come true.  They are a risk for me because I could be disappointed, but I also know that I can trust if they don’t come true it only means God had a different, better plan in mind.  Any brokenness from the fallout of those dreams is temporary.  No one can ever tell me I am foolish for dreaming too big.  Dreaming big means to have hope despite the impossible, it is to know that no situation is hopeless.  Hope isn’t a promise, hope is a choice and so is how big you dare to dream.