4 Thing You Need to Know About Dreams
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I’ll never forget the moment when the dream was planted in my heart.
I was sitting in our mid-sized church – left side 3 rows back – in Bowman, North Dakota and the visiting missionary was telling a riveting story based on the Psalm “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves [with him].“
I went home that night and wrote down everything that was in my heart.
It was a vision larger than life. It was bigger than big. It was incredible. And I was fired up.
I went to bed that night dreaming about all the incredible things God was going to do through me and how He was going to use me in Croatia.
Those dreams gave fuel to my decision to go as I struggled to fit my entire life into 2 suitcases, 2 carry-ons and 1 large bin that I sent to my Croatian address via ship.
They soared with me over thousands of miles from Portland, Oregon to Zagreb, Croatia.
They gave me determination as I walked home from my first Croatian language class certain I was incapable of learning the language.
If only God had given me a vision of me 7 1/2 years later taking my Croatian Language Proficiency exam when I got 100%.
That glimmer of hope was really needed then!
They kept me company when the novelty of my arrival wore off and people went about their lives with their friends, and I fought to find a place where I fit in.
It’s always like that as a new person in a new town. Try a new person in a new country!
They comforted me when I was forced to leave the country for 3 months and I sat on a bus bound for Bosnia where I knew no one and no one knew me.
Little did I know that I’d make friends for life in that dear town of Tuzla!
They reminded me of why I was here in the first place as I wept over the precious babies I had so quickly fallen in love with – but that my arms never got a chance to hold.
And so many times I have reflected on those dreams and wondered if they would ever come to pass.
Was God teasing me?
Did I merely dream my own dreams?
There are 4 Things You Need to Know About Dreams
The dream I dreamed about what I would do in Croatia was grandiose and over-ambitious.
The phrase, “Zeal without knowledge” would be appropriate in this context.
I didn’t know anything at all about Croatia, it’s people, its culture, or its history and background.
But as I began to learn more about these things, I realized that what I had dreamed would not only be offensive to the people, it wouldn’t be appropriate at all for this country or its culture.
I was an American having American dreams about doing American things in a country that wasn’t America.
Since that time, God has chiseled and sharpened that dream; He has knocked off rough edges and shaped it into something that fits the culture I live in.
And I pray that very soon I will begin to see the fruit of that vision.
In the meantime, I do not wait idly by – I work, I labor.
I am serving in a mission field called “motherhood”, I a serving in a mission field that is my neighborhood, I weekly share with my Sunday School class children the importance of salvation.
And as I do so, I realize that doing these things are – in fact – a small part of that big dream!
This article was published at Charisma Magazine under the title What to Do While You’re Waiting for Your Dream to Come True
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I agree that dreaming is what propels us forward in life. We need those dreams to get us up and moving towards something, even if its teeny tiny steps!
This is so beautiful! I’m still amazed at the nuggets of things God had planted in my heart and how they’ve grown to be bigger than I ever thought. Keep following His dream for you. 🙂 Hopping from Playdates with God
Dear Amy – thank you for stopping by. My parents faced the same thing in Canada in their first years of serving there as well. I think it mus be a common thing to sort of pick up your culture and plant it in your new residence…I found the same thing among non-locals where I lived when I was still living in the States. 🙂 Sometimes its just so hard to abandon all you’ve ever known and learn something new. Intimidating as well. But it is also eye-opening and enlightening. We should always be open to learning new things…no matter how hard (or how old we are. haha!!!)
Dear Jessica – thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. I pray you have a blessed weekend
Gail – thank you for your encouraging comment. Your comments bless me every week! Love from Zagreb!!!!
Dear Char – thank you for stopping by and commenting. Have a blessed weekend!
Dear Jenni – I pray your dream will come true very soon. What a wonderful dream to have!!
Dear Lara – thank you for your wonderful comment. Oh – I think without the heart of a child we would never be able to dream at all. It’s that childlike faith that enables us to dream bigger than we dare. And then it is God who comes along to shape it and make it real. What a wonderful thought. I am so glad you shared that!!!
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I love your comment “without fear”!! Amen! Yes!!!
Lisa – thank you for commenting. I am so glad that my story touched your heart. It took a long time to get to the place where I could write it all out, but it was a very healing process for me. And joy truly does come in the morning. God has turned my weeping to dancing – and filled my arms with two beautiful miracles!!
Megan – I always look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for being such an encourager to me!
Thank you so much for your encouraging comment. Have a great weekend!!!
Denise – thank you for commenting. I always love hearing from you (I look forward to your comment every week. I can always count on you!!!)
Hi Misty! Thanks for popping by. I love hearing from you!! Oh yes – it is so easy as moms to forget those dreams God has given us. Even though our dream really does take on a new shape – as you said – and becomes our family for a season. Motherhood is such an important role!!!
Thank you so much for stopping by a commenting. I love to hear from former and current missionaries! Where did you serve?
Dear Mindy, thank you for stopping by and commenting! Isn’t it great to watch God do His work through you? Its humbling and so exciting. I can’t see what more He has in store for us. Have a great weekend!
Noel – thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Oh yes, we are so guilty of that, aren’t we. Sometimes we forget that our culture doesn’t always translate over well. But thankfully, for the most part, God’s kids are gracious and kind to grace us in those moments. 🙂
Oh so true!!! Dreams God plants in our heart must take shape by Him. Doing His work our way is a recipe for disaster. But I have been guilty of this many times. 🙂
” I was an American having American dreams about doing American things in a country that wasn’t America.”, I love this! We had the same “issue” with our dreams as we lived in Canada for 7 years. It’s amazing how as Americans we think our way is THE way. This was beautiful! Thanks for linking up!
What a beautiful post. Thanks so much for sharing your dreams with us.
Rosilind,
First let me say how proud you can be to have learned Croatian so well! Praise God! ? And secondly, what a great message. I love each of your points and the story you shared to bring them to life. This list is worth me going over a second time. Thanks for sharing this and for linking it to B&BB. I pray you have a lovely week in your ministry of motherhood and all of your other endeavors this week.
I think my favorite part about this post is realizing that God used your dream, however inaccurate, to guide you where He wanted you to be and make that dream something even MORE grandious! I’d love to have you link this up to Titus 2 Tuesday at Cornerstone Confessions this week. Hopping over from 1-Minute Bible Love Notes.
Kathy
Thank you for sharing this sister!
I dream of serving in a foreign country in the future as well. God has led me to stay for now. I know His plans are best! 🙂
I’m so glad you pursued that dream. God often gives us the heart of a child when it comes to these things, doesn’t He? In our lack, He is glorified. How you inspire, my friend.
and dream big!!
Without fear.I enjoyed reading your insights.I am your newest follower ..pls follow back if you can.
Aloha,
Following you and your dreams now from thoughtful Thursday. There is so much truth in your words and I look forward to reading more.
If you’re up for a visit to a far away place I’d love to have you join the ride at localsugarhawaii.com. We’re riding the wave of life one little adventure at a time. Come on over, anytime… really.
xo,
Nicole
localsugarhawaii.com
Rosilind I just finished reading your Journey To Motherhood and I am in tears. Thank you for sharing your beautiful story with us…I can only imagine the joy you have in your motherhood, that is the most beautiful dream to have become a reality. When I first got married I kept thinking that I was pregnant and spent so much time worrying that I couldn’t have children. Needless worry since I’ve had 5 pregnancies so far and lost one in my 4th month. When I read your story of yearning and grieving, I am reminded of how many women long for children, long for God to open their wombs. Thank you for blessing me with this right now because I need this reminder… I’ll explain later on.
Wow! You spelled it out wonderfully! Thank you for sharing from the heart. God has given you much wisdom.
May He continue to expand your expectations.
Blessings!
Beautifully expressed and written….. You are starting to see the bigger picture,how wonderful
Fabulous post.
What a beautiful post! Our pastor just ended a serious on dreams last week! It was wonderful! It is so easy in motherhood to forget our dreams. I love my family and my dream is them right now. Later I will have another dream, when they have soared out on their own wings 🙂
I can relate to this post on so many levels, even though I was more of an American missionary–starting a church with my husband so many years ago. Thanks for your vulnerability. Thanks for your insight. And know that I will pray for you that you will persevere in the continuing chapters of God’s dream for your life, Rosilind! Thanks so much for this great post!
Wow, this is really so good. I love to read about Dreams and how they correlate to hearing God. We serve a big God with big dreams and plans for us, I think that’s in the bible somewhere (wink, wink) but I like how you say your dream wasn’t really what would have been appropriate. It was an American dream, this is so good. I think so many people don’t realize this.
“Zeal without knowledge.” That sounds very familiar, as I have been equally excited about projects and equally unknowledgeable.
I would call it a God sized dream, one which cannot begin to take shape without His assistance.
It is so wonderful you have been able to stick with learning the language and have embraced the shaping. Your post is inspirational!
Love this line, Rosilind–I can identify: God has chiseled and sharpened that dream; He has knocked off rough edges and shaped it
Beautiful post! Thanks! <3
What a great reminder Rosilind of how God gives us dreams…and then further refines them step by step as we wait on Him 🙂 thanks so much for sharing! Rachael @ Diamonds in the Rough
This was beautiful (and so were you). I see what you are talking about. I have had my dreams die and out of them, God chiseled a new person as He refined me. Maybe I could say that my dreams have become God’s dreams as I learn to yield my heart and life to Him.
Thank you, Judie. He uses those “dead” times to knock of the rough patches, doesn’t He? It’s painful, but soooo necessary.
Thank you, Rachael. Yes – even our dreams have to endure the refining fire.
Thank you, Julia
Oh – yes. The chiseling. Painful, but rewarding.