Care to Dream?

Ever wonder why we are so enamored my dreams?  If I have a fascinating or terrifying dream, there's no doubt I'll work it into multiple conversations the following day.  Whether it was a disco dance in Heaven or a hiking trip in Peru-- both of which I've dreamed-- I love replaying the dream in my conscious mind, wondering what unconscious me was thinking.  Better yet, I love it when I have a dream that I just know God was speaking through it, and it wasn't just some weird show I watched before bed. (RELATED: Dreaming of Doors)

So anyway, I got a funky new app on my phone this week called Dreamboard. (RELATED: My Favorite Apps)  It is a tangible way to track my dreams and see patterns over time.  Call me nerdy, but I think that is super cool!  It also got me thinking about why we focus so much on dreams.  Here is my conclusion: We believe dreams give us an insight as to who we are, where we are or where we will be.   (RELATED: 5 Awesome Apps for Your Phone)

When I dreamed about disco dancing in Heaven with my grandparents, it gave me hope about where I will be someday.  Dreams where we fly or run really fast often give us joy, encouraging us that we are capable and strong.  I also believe that God uses dreams to speak to us, as confirmed in Acts 2:17.  I have personally had amazing, complex dreams that I fully believe were from God, and they have revealed wisdom to me for current situations or given me a word of prophesy for my future.

As I've been thinking about dreams lately though, I've realized that they don't have to be limited to the midnight hours when our eyelids are closed and we are snuggled in bed.  Another definition of dream is: "A cherished aspiration, ambition or ideal." We can dream right now.

One verse that never ceases to amaze me is Zephaniah 3:17:

The Lord your God is in your midst;
The Mighty One, will save
He will rejoice of you with gladness
He will quiet you with His love
He will rejoice over you with singing


Can you even fathom that!?  The God of the universe rejoices over us.  He doesn't need us and yet He delights in us, because we give Him joy!  Wow! And then I ask myself: "How can you not dream and live in extravagant hope when God is so crazy about you and He is so powerful?"

It has been a great reminder, especially as I've really gotten down to the core and been honest with God the past few weeks.  I've fessed up-- though He already knows-- that I've taken Him off the pedestal in my life for many years. (RELATED: My Will vs. God's Will)  My desire for protection and survival has driven me to try and control everything myself, replacing God-given dreams with earthly-substitutes.  And then the goal becomes trying to survive, trying to make it to the next meal, trying to run the extra mile.  That's no way to live.  It is, however, one surefire way to die.

I am just shy of 20 years of age, and I've been struggling with the knowledge that I have squandered a lot of those years.  I toy with the self-pity and self-hatred, wondering how many of God's plans I've spoiled throughout my decent into anorexia. (RELATED: My Testimony, always in progress)

And then I remember, God's plans are so much bigger than me.  Who am I to think that I can undermine He who spans time and space. (RELATED: Who Do You Think You Are?)  His dreams are still alive in me and I've got a lifetime to keep moving closer to Him and the woman He wants me to be, the woman that is most joyful and alive.  So we aren't limited to physical dreams when it comes to hope and insight.  My point in all this blabbering is that we have an active and living God who is among us and has great plans for us that are greater than our biggest "screw-ups."  Horatio Spafford had it right when he declared "it is well with my soul," because the Lord God is in our midst, rejoicing over us and quieting us with His love.

Dream about that tonight :)