The Dream Begins

Sitting in the audience of one of my very favorite teachers, I felt spell bound. On the first Friday of every month, Dwight Pryor expounded Scripture with the richness of a Hebrew perspective. I always scribbled pages of notes, but tonight’s session grabbed me by the throat like never before. He taught layers of meaning in the parable we refer to as “The Prodigal Son” but he titled, “The Good Father and the Two Lost Sons,” — layers we miss with our western eyes.

I saw the entire narrative playing out in my mind as he taught. Writing had always tugged at my dreams. But with three small boys, finding the time proved difficult. Very difficult. Yet, after the teaching, I marched up to Dwight at the end of the evening and proclaimed, “This floored me. I’m going to write this story. The year was 1993.

In case you don’t want to go to the trouble of all that borrowing and subtracting, that was thirty-one years ago. 30! Four children ago. Twenty-seven years of homeschooling ago. Seven moves ago. My husband’s retirement, political campaign time in office, a start-up that failed, and new career ago. Three self-published books ago. Twelve years of blogging ago. Five weddings ago. Ten grandchildren ago. Three years of podcasting ago.

A LOT can happen in thirty years! Most authors can write many books in three decades. I would have thought I would have written many more than I have. I also thought THIS story would have been written, sold, and become a best-seller by now. 

But as the years ticked by, filled with people and events, this story lurked in my mind, knocking on the door of my memory every now and then, making sure I hadn’t forgotten it. (Like at a doctor’s office: take a seat and we’ll be with you shortly)

I tried a few times to start, but never found any traction.

So, what do we do with a dream never realized? With the delays that we blame ourselves for? With the waiting that feels more like failure?

I am finally finishing and publishing this book this year and with the hard waiting I’ve learned some things. And THOSE are what I want to share with you today!

Want to listen to the Podcast on this subject?
Check out Episode 502 and 503

• 5 Secrets To Finish a Passion Project — Part 1

• 5 Secrets To Finish a Passion Project — Part 2

5 Ways To Accomplish A Dream

How do we bring the sleeping dream back to life? Here are five ways to finally open the door to the dreams knock, and finally let it have room at the table to accomplish what God started.

1. Make Peace with the Waiting

Part of believing that I’m never too late is making peace with God doing things this way. Often. Not only do I trust the dream He started, I have to trust the Lord’s timing. And that’s NEVER like my timing.

Abraham was told he would have generations that numbered like the stars. He’s left his homeland, came to Israel in faith, and waited. Sixteen years for Isaac to be born. Forty more years for Isaac to get married. And twenty more years after that for Esau and Jacob to be born. Still, God only used one of them! 

The other person necessary for the plan was Sarah. If Abraham was the only exact person necessary for the promise, there would have been no problem. He had lots of other kids, before and after Isaac. But God waits until AFTER she has gone through menopause to cure her lifetime of infertility.

Moses had a divine assignment in Egypt. To prepare him, God kicked him out and taught him in the University of the Desert. According to Exodus 7:7, when he goes back to Egypt and struggles not only with Pharaoh but with his own people, he is 80.

To keep working in faith toward the dream God has implanted in my heart I must make peace with the waiting. 

2. Start Easiest Way Possible

I had no idea how to write a book, but I dreamed of writing. So I needed to get started.

I’ve discovered for me to start anything new, I should take the first, easiest step available. Fifteen years ago, I knew I wanted to write more, and so I decided to have a blog. People always asked me about parenting, so that was the plan. I hired someone to build it. I posted a few things. But it intimidated the tar out of me. I didn’t understand the technology and I had no community of bloggers around me.

Finally, I started a blogger account. I just threw things up there because I figured only my Mom and Dad were reading them. I could go back and edit. I had no schedule and only wrote when an idea struck me. Basically exactly opposite of honing my message and speaking to a narrow and defined target market.

But to get started on the dream I had to make peace with not doing whole thing in the beginning.

On my little blogger account I found my writing voice. I honed my skills. I learned so much. It was my first step.

After the Israelites left Egypt, they also attended the University of the desert for 40 years. Joshua leads them into the promised land. But even at the edge of the promises fulfillment, they halted. The Jordan was in flood stage. How would the priests carry the Ark not be swept away?

They had to take the step: stepping into the Jordan. I love Scripture so much for a jillion reasons. Here is one of them. Joshua 3:15 says “when …the feet of priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water” that was when the water stopped upstream.

Getting started, dipping my toe into the easiest form of writing publicly available, started me. God has definitely needed to do some miracles, which He does when we follow HIm. But mostly it just looks like obeying when it makes no sense and you don’t know what you are doing.

3. Do It Scared/Share It Scared

Whatever your dream it, you have to eventually tell people about it. And you can’t wait to start until you aren’t scared about it.

For so long, I didn’t tell anyone I wanted to write. I was Terrified to tell because then I’d have to produce something for OTHER PEOPLE to read.

I’m so aware of what I don’t know and that I don’t even know ALL that I don’t know. My first step was to share with other that I was writing.

Then I joined a critique group. Sharing work with that group TERRIFIED me. But I had been through my entire prayer book with that group, and brought blog posts and other things that they had critiqued. 

But when I drought my first chapter of my novel I was terrified all over again. I read it out loud fast they all just got confused. My fear surprised me. But after that I settled down and acted like a normal person with the other chapters I brought. If I hadn’t done the first chapter in a panic, I might have never gotten around to sharing it normal. And I needed all the feedback I received from that group.

Jesus sent the disciples out two by two. Think about how they had to work together and be criticized or critiqued by each other. Think how terrified they much have been. The Chosed, Season 3, Episode 2 paints a great picture of this. The first time they were the ones in front of a group sharing, I bet they did it scared. The first time they prayed for healing I bet they did it terrified.

Do what Jesus called you to do, and do it scared. That is faith.

4.Invest in Your Gift/Dream

Part of believing that what God called me to was important even if it took a long time was investing in my skills. Like Abraham who had to leave his home and go to a new land, I needed to do the same.

Investing in you gift will look differently depending upon your call. So I will share mine and you ask Jesus what it will look like for you.

• I called myself a writer. This step of faith meant I believed God would gift me for what He called me to.

• I bought craft books. My first was “On Writing” by Stephen King, because everyone recommended it. I bought it at Half Price Books, yet still it felt like a luxury. Could I buy something only for me, when there were homeschool books I still needed to purchase? But I read it and underlined it. And I had found the “writer” section of the store, so I kept purchasing craft books. And I kept learning.

• I attended Writing Conferences. This was a big expense, and I’ve only been to a few, but each one has pushed me forward and taught me more. I’ve made contacts with other writers. And nobody understands writers better than fellow writers.

• I invest time. I schedule my writing into my day, and making time makes writing a priority.

Here’s what I discovered: Investing in the gift God gave me meant I respected what He’d told me to do.

5. Trust Lord to Complete What He Began

The Lord began the dream that will ultimately glorify Him. I pray all the time as I’m writing my Prodigal son book, which Jesus told to paint a picture of the Heavenly Father, I ask Him to help me tell His story. It’s not my story. I’m expanding on His story.

Philippians 1:6 says, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete [it] until the day of Jesus Christ” (NKJV)

He completes. It might feel like He’s waiting until Jesus comes back! But slow doesn’t mean not happening.

It can look different than you dreamed and it might accomplish something different as the Lord uses time and fire to purify what desires, plans, goals, and abilities.

We can’t see inside our hearts like Jesus, but He knows every bit of work He’s completing. We can trust Him.

Here’s the 5 steps:

1. Make Peace with the Waiting

2. Start Easiest Way Possible

3. Do It Scared/Share It Scared

4. Invest in Your Gift/Dream

5. Trust Lord to Complete What He Began

So if you feel like you’ve been in the University of the Desert for 40 years, remember always, the Lord, who wastes nothing and who does amazing teaching in the desert, 

He wants His word, truth, and life to go into the world. He wants to use us! But never forget, he’s never in a hurry. Never. Ever.

Our job is not the timeline. Our job is the obedience. So, while you wait peacefully, start in the easiest way possible, even if you’re terrified. When you can, invest in improving the skill God gifted you with. And during it all, trust Jesus to complete everything He has begun.

QUESTION:

What project, idea, or creation do you think God is calling you to do WITH Him? Share it in the comments below so I can cheer you on!