Permission To Dream

For a long time, I was afraid to dream. I didn’t want to deal with the disappointment and failure of an unrealized hope or desire, so I decided not to dream at all.

Not dreaming is safe. It’s easy. It’s just going through the motions. Get up. Eat. Go to work. Go home. Watch television. Sleep. Repeat.

But then, at some point, I looked up and I wondered Is this the kind of life I want to live? I had to ask myself if I wanted to let my fear of falling on my face keep me living a life filled with purpose.

So I gave myself permission to dream. Big dreams. Small dreams. Complex dreams. Simple dreams. Dumb dreams. Fun dreams. Any dream.

Will all of my dreams come true? No. Whenever I dream, I have to yield those dreams to God. Some of those dreams will fade away — and, painfully, some already have. Others will change into something else, something better. God will give me new dreams that will replace old ones. And some dreams, through prayer, perseverance and patience, will one day come to pass.

But first, I had to give myself enough grace to fail and be okay with the fact that some — maybe most — of the dreams I dream now will never come to fruition.

I’m still just a beginner when it comes to dreaming. It’s a challenge for me, because fear is always trying to trying to get me to settle for less.

But what I’ve discovered is that life is so much more exciting when you choose to dream. And when those dreams are fueled by a desire to glorify God and serve others with the time, treasure and talents He has given you, they will breathe life into your days.

So when fear says not to bother, dream anyway. When doubt creeps in and tells you that can’t, prove it wrong.

Give yourself permission to dream.