Dream Killer ? (Part I)

I've been thinking……actually I've been thinking a lot lately……..no headaches….lost a little sleep…….probably seemed distant at times to those around me…..but I've been thinking.

Thinking about things that have been spoken over me throughout the years…..wondering………pondering………when will those words come about? Am I doing something to keep those words from coming about? Is someone else doing something to keep those words from coming about? What do I do with the questions, discouragement and even anger at times because I haven't seen those words come about. I'm not getting any younger….at least that’s what several folks have told me over the past three years.

At the same time, I'm learning a lot. Thinking, reading the Word, talking with other pilgrims who are on their journey with God and listening to the Spirit as He whispers…….in dreams, visions, desires and words given to me by brothers and sisters in the Kingdom.

I remember being so excited about the things I felt God promised to me. I was also a bit confused about how they would come about. I never doubted they would come about but I didn't see how or when.

Little did I know that the pursuit of these things may be a life time; little did I know what it would take to get from where I was to where God wanted me to be so He could fulfill those dreams. To be honest, had I truly known what it was going to take, I would have run. I would have said, "thank you but I don't think that's for me…..do you have something a little easier?"

I have memories of my college days…..of multiple speakers in our chapels talking about our willingness to "pay the price" when it came to serving God and doing His will. We all went forward; hands up; tears streaming; saying "yes, I'm willing to do whatever it takes." Well, to be honest, if we had known ……..what it was going to take………well…..you know the rest.

I've often commented about difficult times that have passed by saying, "I'm glad it's over; learned a lot; but I won't ever sign up for that again." Know the feeling? I'm sure you do. It's a feeling that's common to most of us pilgrims.

Here are some things I've learned that might help you:

·         I'm not alone in waiting on the Lord to fulfill His promises

·         I'm not the only one who is wondering if they missed God somewhere along the line

·         I'm not the only one doing things that God has placed in front of us to do but things that we don't want to do "when we grow up"

·         I'm not the only living being with an incredible hope that the next phone call; the next mail delivery; the next e-mail; or the next Skype call is going to open the door to God's fulfillment of those dreams He put in my heart

·         I'm not the only one who is tired of living disappointed because there was no call; no letter; no e-mail; no Skype call and no open door

·         I'm not the only who has good and bad days and gives serious thought to turning back……but I don't know what to turn back to……..

What am I learning? One thing for certain, the fulfillment of the dream, vision or word is not the ultimate. There's much more involved than seeing those things come about. With apologies to the General Secretary of the Assemblies of God, Dr. James Bradford, it's not rocket science.

Note what it says at the end of Hebrews 11, "These were all commended for their faith yet none of them received what had been promised. {40} God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."

After reading this passage you have to come to the conclusion that the journey was more important than the promise. God is more concerned with how we get there than when.

I also have to assume that heaven…..being in God's presence…..will make any promise, dream, vision or word pale in comparison to being in the presence of God…..heaven.

We're on a journey. Often it's a difficult journey. Often we have to deal with circumstances on this journey that are not of our doing. It's not our fault; but we have to deal with it; perhaps we have to get over it.

More tomorrow…….

Always in Pursuit!