Time For Dreams

Somewhere I read, "Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to take a nap."

Amen.

And similarly, sometimes the most spiritual thing I can do is take a little break from this blog. Taking time to come away, ponder things in my heart.

One of my ponderings? Photography. For ten years I've toyed with becoming a photographer, but not until now, this year, has the time felt right to begin.

If there's anything I've learned, it's that, with God, timing is everything.

In my life, nearly always He's given me dreams years before He meant me to birth them. I've watched Him do that with other people, also, especially with mothers smack dab in the middle of their mothering years. They're surrounded with tiny, apron-pulling children and a huge, new dream--but almost no (visible) way to chip away at the new ideas.

No, but many ways to carry out this current one--this dream of raising children--if they'll but knock, ask and seek.

I think it's a test. Will we run ahead on our own, on only a far-off vision? Race impatiently, insecure in our current life? Or will we wait for God's blessing, His grace, and His way--and His timing?

I think, with God, the forming of our character to match His, well, that will always come first with Him, rather than our riding wild and undisciplined with our dreams. 

'Our gifts can take us where our character cannot keep us.' Heaven forbid that we become another member of the list of shipwrecked dreamers, especially if we also dragged down other souls in our sinking.

Grace. Following Grace is key. 

Many years ago Tom's Dad told him never to force anything when working with tools, otherwise the tools could break. Over and over Tom repeated that advice to me when he caught me frustrated, trying to yank and force tools, batteries, hammers and nails to fit or work or twist when they were created to work other specific ways.

And well, dreams are like that.

There's a time, a birth date, for each dream, a season to grow and mature while we wait. And then times to place our toes in the water or later, to swim in the deep. Seasons to ask for help, other times to work alone or sit back and meditate about what to do next. 

But heaven help us if we get the times all mixed-up!


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"My times are in Your hands..." Psalm 31:15

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." ... Proverbs 29:18


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