Wednesday, September 27, 2006

In Other Words



"It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else."
~ Erma Bombech ~


I think Erma is on to something with her quote here. Your dreams say a lot about you, about your innermost hopes and desires. They’re like little children, tender and vulnerable, facing a future as yet unfolded. Showing someone your dreams is like saying ‘This is who I am’, easy for some to do but harder for others. We want people to like us and accept us and I expect that noone wants to be the object of ridicule. Sometimes a dream can seem so out of reach that to share that with someone opens us up to that.

Joseph could tell us a lot about that. He had his dreams and shared them with his family only to be ridiculed and scorned. I imagine that this was hard because we share that secret part of us with those we love and trust. Having them throw it back in our faces with disdain would break that trust.

I think too you need not just courage but self-confidence to share your dreams. It’s easier to put yourself out there when you have accepted who you are and what you want. When I first started to write poetry I just wanted to express myself. I had just gotten saved and was growing in my relationship with God. The anointing was so strong upon me one day, I was at work at my desk and I had these indescribable feelings. I felt God speaking to me but as though the words were just beyond my hearing so I picked up pen and paper and began to write. It wasn’t terribly original, just bits and pieces of scriptures that the Lord was impressing upon my heart really but that’s where I started. It became my outlet to my experience with God and what I wanted to say to Him and vice versa. It was something I hid for long time because it was so personal. I felt like giving someone any to read was like handing my heart over on a silver platter. Not an easy thing to do. So I’d usually keep it to myself for a while and when I became comfortable with it myself, it was easier to share.

So I think self-confidence is important and not just confidence in ourselves but also confidence in God. The fact is that we 'can do all things through Christ' and 'with God all things are possible'. The question then is whether our dream is the will of God and ultimately if we will trust Him to accomplish it.

3 comments:

Just Me said...

hey Kelly....I went on a missions trip to Venezuela and one of the men on the trip wrote poetry! It was 'his' way of hearing from God. While others got scriptures, or pictures, visions or prophetic words for our morning devotional, this man would often write a poem! It was beautiful and I thought he was so brave!! It is hard to share what has come from your heart - but it was the most incredibly blessing! At the end of the trip he gave me copies of his poems - and I felt honored - like someone had just opened their treasure box and shared it with me! Mind you..I'm sure he doesn't always get that kind of response! Walking out your dreams and talents, can be daunting and can make others want to keep you in 'their box' - mainly because they aren't free! So...anyways..was blessed ot read your post..feel I know you alittle more! My dream? Well, I always felt even as a little girl, I wanted to learn sign language -w as always drawn to the deaf. Didn't know anybody deaf - so of course that 'dream' was scoffed at! Now I'm ( well old enough believe me)..and last year I took myself off to univercity for a year's night courses, and I've got my first 4 levels. Still no deaf people in my life, except my instructor..and no deaf in our church - BUT I'm joining a deaf bible study in October! See where dreams that get unpacked can lead you!

CJ said...

I agree with you whole-heartedly! Self-confidence is certainly a factor that great influences whether or not we share our dreams!

Just Me said...

Hey Kelly..just had to 'pop' in again...I was reading my devotional yesterday by John C. Maxwell and you won't beleive what it was on? ...'Share the Dream' !! Cool eh? I think I might just print it out on my blog - it seems ot be where a few of us are at these days.