The Well Magazine Winter 2012 | Page 6

Living Well Dream Resurrection Let God revive the dreams that He placed in your heart and put your faith in action By Monica Fountain hat happened to your dream? To borrow the words of the poet Langston Hughes, has it dried up like a raisin in the sun? Or is it festering like a sore? Have you given up on that idea that used to make you smile when you thought about it? Does it seem like your time has passed? Life happened while you were making other plans and now it seems like that dress size, college degree, career, business, book or family is the impossible dream. Perhaps you feel like your dream is dead. Don’t give up. Dreams can be brought back to life and realized. It’s not too late to live your dream. But maybe it won’t look exactly how you envisioned it. It might be even better. Here’s some steps to take in the New Year to resurrect your dream. W Evaluate and Differentiate What was the motivating factor or foundation of your dream? You need to evaluate. What is at the core? Was it for your glory and self-satisfaction or to serve others? Is it about creative expression or a certain job title? Can it be expressed in more than one way or venue? Search inside yourself and see what really is motivating you. Then evaluate what it may take to reach your goal. Count up the costs. Also, you need to differentiate. Is it really your dream or someone else’s expectation? Faith vs. Fear For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 Sometimes the biggest hindrance to our dreams is ourselves. Our fear. We’re afraid of failure. Afraid of what other people will think. Afraid of appearing foolish. Scared to get out of our comfort zone. We are paralyzed by “what ifs” instead of motivated by what could be. The remedy for fear is faith. Not faith in yourself, but faith in God. Get a vision of who God is and ask for his help and for him to give you the wisdom, knowledge, perseverance, people and resources you need. Memorize and meditate on scriptures that encourage and empower. Pray and Plan “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 Start praying to God about your purpose and His plan for your life and ask Him to show you how He wants you to fulfill it. Ask Him to revive your dream and give you a vision for your life. The Bible says if anyone needs wisdom from God, all he has to do is ask and God will give it to him (James 1:5). His thoughts toward you are good ones. He plans to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). While you’re praying and seeking God’s wisdom, start planning. Write the vision (Habakkuk 2:2). Write what it takes to get where you want to go. Start journaling. Make a vision board, a collage of pictures of who you want to be and where you want to go and put it where you can see it. Read and research. Seek advice. Seek a mentor who is doing or has done what you want to do. Surround yourself with positive people who speak life to your dreams instead of death. The Well Magazine / Winter 2012 6 Take a Step The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. Psalm 37:23-24 Stop procrastinating. Do something. Take a step. Find opportunities to serve. Volunteer. Think about doing it for free. Become an apprentice. Start acting like what you are becoming. Take one class online. Commit an hour or a day to doing something toward your dream. The journey of a million miles starts with one step. CONTINUED ON PAGE 29