Reframe a dream, find a new purpose

Have you ever had custom framing done? It is interesting to take a photo or a painting and see how different frames change the whole look and feel of a picture. Sometimes elements or colours show up that you didn't even see before!


There are so many dreams that all of us have in our hearts. Sometimes these dreams are specific and sometimes they lie beneath the surface with a desire that God has given us. So many times though, our dreams are something yet to be achieved, or something that seems far off. When there is a delay in the fulfillment of our dream we can often question either the dream itself, or God. The Bible says "hope deferred makes the heart sick". So does it makes sense that God would give me a desire in my heart and then keep it out of my reach?


So what do we do while we are waiting for the dreams to be fulfilled? Well, lets change the framework and see what shows up.


I have found that, by breaking down my dreams like one would break down a job for a resume, I see that there is often a different frame that will fit that dream but will still fulfill my desires while I am waiting. Let me give you an example.


I have a dream in my heart to be married and have kids. It seems like this is a pretty straighforward dream. One that has a specific beginnng and a specific framework. But let's ask ourselves: "What am I looking for that role to allow me to do in my life?"


Wife: Partnership, investing fully in someone else, having someone who is on my 'team', being someone's biggest cheerleader


Mom: Nurturing, teaching, watching someone develop, revelling in their accomplishments


These are the things that when I really thought about it were that the things that I was looking most forward to. I was waiting to invest in someone who wouldn't move, or find new friends, I was waiting to pour out all my nurturing on my kids. But the problem was what to do in the meanntime.


If we look at those desires and the roles we begin to see that there is NOTHING on that list that is dependant on my being married. I can look around me and invest in others, I can nurture others, I can find a friend who I can invest in and be her biggest cheerleader!


Does this mean that I no longer want to get married? Not at all, in fact, the more I do those things, the more I see that they are God's plan for my life and they fuel me. What it means, is that in the meantime until I meet that man, and walk down the aisle, there is something for me to be doing for God. I am not being held hostage to the desires of my heart that God put there in the first place.


Your dream might be something entirely different. Just remember, but doing these things 'in the meantime' doesn't take away or risk having your BIG dream come true, rather when that moment comes to step into your BIG dream, you will be prepared because you have already been living it!