God-sized Dream = A desire in your heart for more of what God has for you.
We’re opening the door to God-sized dreams in 2013. So every week we get together to encourage each other {because don’t we all need it? yes, ma’am.}. This week Mary Carver is here to share about God-sized dreams with you…
photo by sampsyo
I’m a big talker.
That’s right. I talk real big. I say things like, “God has called me to do this thing!” and, “If it’s God’s will, I know it will happen!” and even, “This is totally the year my dream is coming true!”
Totally.
The problem with talking big is that, well, sometimes people listen. And occasionally those people love you enough to hold you accountable. Which means that every once in a while, you might just find yourself snapping, “Don’t ask me about that! I don’t know! I still have time! Just Leave Me Alone!” to the sweetest friend who had the nerve to ask how that project, that goal, that dream is going.
Almost exactly a year ago, I grabbed the seat at the end of a crowded table across from my friend. Over the laughter and shouts of our friends catching up and carrying on beside us, I whispered, “I think I’m supposed to write a book.”
And then I burst into tears.
I’d like to tell you now that I’m joking or exaggerating or, you know, talking big. But in that moment, the very first time I’d said those terrifying, heart-deep words to anyone, I was a mess.
(And for those of you who don’t know me or haven’t had the honor – haha! – of seeing me break down like a baby, I’m not talking about graceful tears slipping down my cheeks. No, ma’am, I’m talking about breath-catching sobs, running nose and an inability to speak coherently for a good, solid, embarrassing minute or two.)
In the months following my knee-quaking, heart-shaking pronouncement, my friend quietly but firmly supported me as I began to dream out loud and to talk a little bigger.
Telling her about the stirring I felt in my heart gave me the courage to tell another friend, to tell my husband. Telling these people in my life, eventually without tears or even a quiver in my voice, made my maybe-sorta-kinda dream feel like something that was real . . . and possible. And finally believing that my dream is real and possible and God-created forced me to take steps toward making that dream a reality.
Of course, my dream is still terrifying. It’s overwhelming and while it seems possible, it’s just barely so. But because I talked big and shared my dream with the people in my life, “barely so” has to be enough. Because I told them that this is my dream, and they believe in me.
And the most devoted even check in with me, asking me how it’s going and risking my fear-induced and procrastination-powered wrath.
That’s the problem with talking big. It forces you to dream big.
I can’t sit back and be content with too many baby steps or rest stops, because I remember my friend handing me a canvas for my office with a date on it – a date she believes will mean a book contract for me.
I can’t slack off or give into the fear, because I remember my friend – my friend with so much more wisdom and experience than me, my friend who’s been asked to write a book of her own! – saying, “Oh yeah, you are going to write books. I know it.”
I can’t quit on this dream, because I remember my husband asking how many books make a bestseller and then wondering why I laughed when he assumed that was in our near future.
Over the past year I’ve begun following my God-given dream. I’m still not sure what the real-life end result will look like, or how long it will take me to get there. But I know one thing: My tendency to talk big is paying off this time. Talking big means I’m dreaming big. And God-sized dreams are always big.
Mary Carver is a writer, blogger, church planter, wife and mom. A recovering perfectionist, Mary writes with honesty and humor about her imperfect life. Her posts about everything from dieting and housekeeping to parenting and faith encourage other women to give up on perfect and get on with life. She also writes for (in)courage and is the author of Plan a Fabulous Party {without losing your mind}. You can connect with Mary on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – but she draws the line at MySpace. (Because, really, is that even still a thing?!)
Not sure what to do next? Start with The “Do What You Can” Plan: 21 Days to Making Any Area of Your Life Better
Want more encouragement? You’ll find it in You’re Made for a God-sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You
