For the Sake of Your Dreams, Be Brave

A few posts ago I talked about how we were all created for something uniquely wonderful that is specific to us; it is a divine destiny that God, Himself, designed us for. Something no one else in the world has been created for. There are no copies out there... we are the only version of ourselves. The trouble is that sometimes it's hard to know what that divine calling is, and even if we do know what that fireball is that has been ignited within us, are we brave enough to pursue it?

Sometimes our callings present themselves loudly and boldly in our lives. Maybe literal signs. And there is no mistaking what is being asked of us or which way we should move next. This isn't to say we will always agree with our calling or that it will be simple. "I'm not telling you it's going to be easy. I'm telling you that it's going to be worth it." ~Art Williams.  Sometimes our calling is a small whisper that can only be heard in our hearts when we silence the white noise around us and listen. Listen being the key word here. I often tell my kids that hearing me is a very different thing than actually listening to me. It's no different when our calling comes to us in the smallest whisper.

"She listened to her heart above all the other voices." ~Anonymous

By learning our calling we often discover our dreams, small and big, and in reverse, having dreams also helps up discover our calling. What's truly exciting about that idea is that if it's our calling, those dreams can become our realities. We just have to be brave enough to follow through and take the leap. Doing this, taking that leap, can be utterly terrifying. And having bravery doesn't mean there is an absence of fear inside you. No, it means you are leaping in spite of the fear. Put your dreams out there and make others think 'look out world... here SHE comes!' Inspire others through your bravery.

No matter what paths we choose in our lives, we will always encounter closed doors. What does this mean for our dreams when we come to them? Does it mean we have chosen the wrong path? No. Not at all. Every step we take on our journey through life builds a foundation and prepares us for what is to come. Closed doors actually provide opportunities. That's a weird statement - sounds like an oxymoron, I know. But think about it. Closed doors are opportunities to get creative, and they are opportunities to test our bravery. It takes incredible courage to change paths along our journey, to look for a new door, or bypass them altogether and bust in through a window. But remember, wherever we have come from has been preparing us every step of the way for what is to come. Do you recall when I said that Rachel Hollis explained how we are exactly where we've brought ourselves in our lives? (If not, no worries... here is the link.) Sometimes we have gotten to where we are because there were easy paths, but other times we have had to become warriors to summon the courage to forge ahead down the difficult ones.

Having dreams is so important for our souls; those dreams give us drive, they give us purpose, and they challenge us. I believe in God, and I believe He gave me my dreams and He believes in them. I need to be brave and believe in them, too.

"It's the brave ones who choose to dream." ~Annie Downs

What happens when we find ourselves doubting those dreams and the journey they're asking us to take in pursuit of them? For me, those doubts creep up when I get a bad review on my writing, or when I get a rejection letter from a publisher. Many are standard, pre-formatted letters they send in the masses, but others are more personal. Despite the rejection, some offer advice... some, even praise. That doubt that you find creeping in, which is inevitable, is Satan at work. If I can believe that God has given me my dreams then I certainly must believe that Satan is hard at work to destroy them. In the face of doubt we must reaffirm our faith, and doing that forces us to summon courage. The most courageous thing we can do for ourselves and for our dreams is to love ourselves, to speak kindly to ourselves. And we do this despite all of our imperfections. Imperfections should never hold us back from loving ourselves. God himself loves us exactly the way He made us... imperfections and all. When we love ourselves we grow in confidence which ultimately feeds our bravery.

The Devils whispers, "You can't withstand the storm."
The warrior replies, "I am the storm." ~Anonymous

Those fires within us, no matter how small, were specifically designed for us and only us. People can share similar dreams, but that flame and those passions are ours, divinely made for us, and no one can take them away from us. Even before our own creation, "God has already said who we are... will you be brave enough to believe him?" ~Annie Downs. Let the truth of those words set you free so that you are able to take the first, or even 400th, step on your journey toward you dreams... your divine destiny.

"You have made the heavens and earth by Your great power. Nothing is too powerful for you," Jeremiah 32:17

Have dreams that move the mountains. Have courage in the knowledge that when you believe in your dreams, the small ones and the big ones, that God, who put them inside of you, can give them to you. Be brave enough to dream.




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