The young man in front of me was quiet, reflected, articulate. When the political situation dramatically shifted in his home country, he had to flee. He left the life he knew, his family, friends; everything and everyone that once had provided him with a sense of security. Who would welcome him? Was there a life for him anywhere?
From that point on, many of the decisions concerning his life were made by someone else. Politicians. Bureaucrats. High-ranking officials. He was stuck in the in-between: he was not welcomed, but he could not return. Now what?
“What are your dreams for the future?”
He stared at me. Had I not listened to a word of what he said?
I repeated, “What hopes do you have for your future?”
He was silent for a while. “It’s not easy to dream when you don’t know what will happen.”
“I get that.” I wasn’t ready to let it go. “There’s a difference between dreams and plans. Plans are what you make when you think you know what the future holds. Dreams are what you have when you don’t know. Imagine that everything is possible. No limitations. Anything can happen. Now, what do you hope for?”
He no longer looked at me; his gaze was fixed somewhere beyond me. For a brief moment in time, he allowed himself to dream of what might be.
“I dream of a life in peace. I want to pass on what I have and for my life to be significant.”
Withered dreams and faint hopes
I went home that day, thinking of my own dreams. Did I have any? At what point did I stop dreaming?
What are the obstacles to my dreams? Not to the fulfillment of them, but to the process of dreaming?
Why would I sacrifice my hopes on the altar of uncertainty?
What happens to my faith when I allow my hope to wither?
Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.
Hebrews 11: 1, TPT
Is it possible that God wants me to dream with him? To envision the future that he holds for me? Could it be that my hopes catapult me into my divine destiny?
Don’t let the enemy steal your dream
Imagine what would be lost if you discarded your heaven-infused dream. How would it affect your family? Your neighborhood? Their place in eternity?
Which words will never be written unless you write them? How about the songs that live within you that you don’t dare to let out? What if they never blend into the Spirit-orchestrated symphony that your life was meant to be a part of?
What will not be constructed as a result of your fear? How about the wisdom you underestimate and fail to share? The visions that might have elevated someone else’s hope and sense of being? Whose life will not be transformed as a result of yours?
What will not happen if you let go of your hopes?
If you neglect to act on your dreams, what will the next generation miss out on?
Today, I encourage you to dream in broad daylight. If you are surrounded by darkness, shine the light of your hope. Dare to be vulnerable. He won’t let you down.
But he answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9, TPT
Comments
3 responses to “Hopes and Dreams in Times of Uncertainty”
I am privileged to tutor several refugees who are lookIng to God as their Hope. One of them is a man who has been exiled from his country for 26 years. His people have been greatly persecuted—many escaped and went to Japan while others arrived in the United States. Yet, he perseveres in planting hope into the hearts of his countrymen.
In a few weeks, he will be speaking to a large gathering of his people, more than a thousand miles from here. His goal is to keep them hungering for a free nation, back home. They invited him to speak because they know he is a hope fighter and a freedom fighter.
He works at menial and minimum-wage labor so that he is free to leave when he is called on to share — to light and fan the flame for their freedom.
Keeping his eyes on heavenly and earthly goals allows him an incredible joy in this process of waiting —of dreaming for a future beyond his lifetime.
Thank you for shining your light, dear Marian. May we kindle our candles and keep them brightly burning.
Love this! May we all be hope fighters and freedom fighters!
These are my prayers for us all today: that we, too, may fix our eyes on a future beyond our lifetime. That we may pour into someone’s brighter tomorrow. That we will dream with God, capturing his heart for the nations, and that we may pull the vision of tomorrow’s liberty into today’s captivity, releasing the prisoners of injustice and depression. Come, Holy Spirit!
Much love to you, Lynn!
I love you, too, Marian!