To Dream or Not to Dream…

Throw off your frustration like an old garment and remember the dream is for an appointed time.

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Frustration is a killer of dreams. How many times have you had a dream of achieving some goal, but once you began the process, it seemed to take much longer than you imagined? You ran into obstacles and maybe even attempted something that failed, leaving you feeling that it was just a pipe dream. You now look at it and think it was unrealistic to dream it in the first place. If you think this way, at least you can put some of the pain away and not feel responsible for not having achieved it. If it is someone or something else’s fault, then we are off the hook. Or are we?

These kinds of dreams don’t seem to really ever go away. They just seem to bury deeper and deeper into our subconscious and only come out every once in a while as a fleeting memory. The problem is the older we get we revisit them with a new frown thinking that time is running out. “If only” becomes our thought.

While attending my son and daughter-in-loves baby reveal party, I had the opportunity to look at the moon through a very high-powered telescope. I could see with clarity so many things about the moon, like its hills and valleys, its craters, and its seemingly rough terrain. I wanted to just stare and try to take it all in. It seemed as if I could reach out and touch it, yet the moon is 239,000 miles from Earth. It occurred to me that this is the proper way to see our dreams.

In the book of Genesis, God gave Joseph a dream about his position in the future with such clarity that Joseph immediately told his brothers and parents, thinking it was close enough to touch. The clarity of it made it appear as if it was right in front of him. In actuality, it was 13 years and a different country away.

Think about this scenario. NASA looks through their highest powered telescopes and see’s the moon. They decide they want to put someone on the moon. They have the vision with focus and clarity. Now what? They have to do as much research as possible about every known element, from space and rockets to human ability. They build and go through simulations of trial and error to find problems and solutions. Every possible idea must be tested and all possible candidates forced to go through all physical extremes.

This is the crux of most frustration. We, like NASA, will go through trials and errors in order to be properly prepared for the dream ahead and all of this takes mountains of time and endurance.

Joseph had to go through betrayal and slavery to build an inner character that would not only forgive his brothers but be prepared to care for them and their families in their time of need. That is a hugely difficult and emotional trial. But God chose him for the job because he knew he could do it. He knew that he would do it.

Can God trust you with that kind of power?

Then Joseph was lied about in the worst way. The end result put him in a dungeon prison when he was guiltless of all charges and had actually acted honorably and ran from the prospect of being involved in a disloyal and sinful act of betrayal. Then while in prison on trumped-up charges, he is neglected and forgotten after helping those he was imprisoned with.

It may seem unfair, but the dream was a big dream. Are you dreaming a big dream? God may have shown you the future through his very clear high powered telescope. It is not a lie. What he showed you is real. Though the vision tarry, wait for it. I like the way the New Living Translation puts it. Habakkuk 2:3 “The vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”

The waiting is not a waiting time. It is not a wasted time. We are to prepare and learn during the waiting. The waiting serves a great purpose. We may go through trials and errors, but those trials and errors are some of the best teachers.

Throw off your frustration like an old garment and remember the dream is for an appointed time and the God who is faithful believes you can do it. He’s given you all that you need for the step you are taking toward it now. When it is time to take the next step, you will be ready for that too.

In time, like Joseph, you will get the call out of the prison and into position. To quote a line from “The Patriot,” “Make ready!” for the dream will surely come to pass.

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Jaime Luce

Featured Image by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash

The views and opinions expressed by Kingdom Winds Collective Members, authors, and contributors are their own and do not represent the views of Kingdom Winds LLC.

About the Author

Jaime Luce is a sought-after author, speaker, blogger, podcaster, and monthly Charisma Magazine contributor. Over the past two decades, Jaime has served as a leadership and development pastor, teacher, and blogger. She is a team-building and personal growth specialist. Her goal in every mode of ministry has been to empower others to discover the truth of who they are, while also equipping them to tap into God’s abundant blessings.