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 Sherri Ohler is here to share about God-sized dreams with you…
Praying Psalm 143:8 is the perfect way to start each day, wouldn’t you agree?
There was an ordinary boy who, as a child, would make believe that he was a prince and prance around his mother’s kitchen wearing a crown made of nothing more than humble vines. Never mind that he was dreaming dreams beyond his family’s lineage, he was sure that someday he would get to at least visit the castle.
At sixteen, with childish hopes of being a prince still quietly dancing in his heart, the boys dream was joyously revived as he was finally invited to serve in the King’s castle.
Excited & dressed in his Sunday best he reported to the throne for duty. With a smile on his face, a bow of respect in his posture and an air of readiness in his demeanor, he earnestly awaited his orders.
Knowing the boy was strong & fast and wanting to put his gifts to good use, the King asked him to gather all the fallen vegetables from the royal crops, and take them into town to give to the poor. As the boy ran off , the King reveled in high hoped satisfaction in His choice of the boy.
The young man zealously set about his work, in awe that the King would give him such an important task for his very first. Gathering as quickly as he could, he filled his baskets and ran toward town to carry out the rest of his assignment.
When He saw the grateful faces of the townspeople he was filled with love and decided that He would go above & beyond what was asked by the King, and went on to clean, peel, chop and serve the harvest to the people. (In his gumption, he failed to realize that he had not only just taken work from of one of the poorest families in all the kingdom, but also shortened the life of all the food!)
Certain that the King would be impressed that he took it upon himself to further serve the townspeople, he headed back to the castle with a spring in his step and a bit of pride in his heart as he dreamed of the accolades He would receive when he got there.
To his dismay, the King was saddened at his late arrival. He told the boy of how he had been watching his life for some time, had been impressed with his character and had chosen him and one other to come serve at the castle so that he could choose one of them to marry his only daughter, the Princess.
When he hadn’t returned for his next assignment, the King decided that the boy’s heart was easily distracted and prone to pride & self direction, and that he was not yet ready for marriage, and the Princess and the Crown were given to the other boy.
The End.
Yikes! In my story, the boy was so wrapped up in doing what He thought the King would want, that he had no idea that his lifelong dream of becoming a Prince was just hours away from coming true, and in the end his dream was given to someone else because the King still needed a Prince for his daughter.
Is God looking for another to fulfill the dreams that He first gave you?
When God speaks we can listen, we can ignore or we can listen and run ahead. Unfortunately, as I chase my God-sized dreams, I seem to always do the latter, no matter how many times I hit a wall. In His amazing and glorious grace, He keeps shining up a new crown for me and waiting for me to run back to Him to receive it. He is the Giver & Fulfiller of all my dreams, if in my own gumption I run ahead of Him, I am leaving my dreams, and the crown of them coming true- behind.
How about you? Do you tend to sit still and pretend God didn’t speak to your heart? Are you one that gets it right and only takes one step at a time? Or do you , like me, charge ahead with an “I’ll take it from here” attitude? Whichever category you fall into, we have something to learn from each other and I’d love to hear from your heart!
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Sherri Ohler,previously a pastry chef and cooking instructor, is a licensed artist who is always looking for new ways to bring together her love of art & aesthetics, and passion for food in ways that bless & inspire others. She is planning & hosting upcoming creative workshops and retreats in hopes of using her art to elevate ordinary life into what God truly intends it to be by inspiring joy, encouraging faith & creating beauty. You will find Sherri painting & designing in her home studio in Geneva, Illinois where she lives with her husband Randy. She is mom to two beautiful daughters, October and Ivy, and step mom to one spunky 11 year old named Cheney.
Now it’s your turn!
For this week: “Sometimes we feel alone not because we need to be with others but because God wants to be with us. Our lives are busy–especially when we’re pursuing a dream–and God may want to pull us aside for a bit” {You’re Made for a God-sized Dream, Chapter Six}. The most important part of any God-sized dream is the Giver of it. Set aside a particular time this week to be with Him–to pray, journal, take a walk or simply sit quietly and listen. Write a post sharing what your heart hears or receives then link it up below.
So we can all find each other, please include this God-sized Dreams button in your post. Also, love on your fellow God-sized dreamin’ sisters by leaving a comment on the post before yours.
For next week: take this “do what you can” step for your God-sized dream…Take some time to play. Do something creative. Snap a picture. Build a Pinterest board. Make a craft. Read a book. Bake a treat. Wrestle with your kids. Whatever energizes you. It can be related to your God-sized Dream in some way or totally different. Sometimes along the way to our dreams we just need a little time to play. It helps us keep going and reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously. Share about what you did in a post and link it up here next week!
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
P.S. If you missed the announcement yesterday, I’m sharing about You’re Made for a God-sized Dream on the Bloom (in)courage book club! Come on over and you can also win a copy of the book.}
