Happy week 4 of 2023!
I can’t believe we are in the last full week of January already. Let’s continue talking about processing our dreams and potentially growing them even bigger.
Do you have anyone in your life asking you what you truly want out of your life? I have a few friends who challenge me in this way—to dream, and then dream bigger. I even have a framed picture with “dream big and bigger” on it from one of my soul sisters who believes in me so much she prays for God’s will to be done in my life.
If you didn’t know, life is hard right now. Everyday living seems harder. Laundry takes longer. Gas prices are higher. Grocery lines are longer. Friends and family are getting sick, and families are having to make hard decisions. The hits happen and seem to keep happening.
It’s not a good feeling, and you might even feel the dread just by reading about all the things that bring us down. Nevertheless……
I had to remind the kids in chapel this past week that we are sons and daughters of the King. Our identity is grounded in whose we are, not in how we feel or what we may or may not have done. We sang this song and the kid’s voices erupted:
Who am I that the highest King
Would welcome me?
I was lost but He brought me in
Oh His love for me
Oh His love for me
Who the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed
I'm a child of God
Yes I am
Free at last
He has ransomed me
His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin
Jesus died for me
Yes, He died for me
Who the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed
I'm a child of God
Yes I am
In my Father's house
There's a place for me
I'm a child of God
Yes I am
I am chosen not forsaken
I am who You say I am
You are for me not against me
I am who You say I am
I am chosen not forsaken
I am who You say I am
You are for me not against me
I am who You say I am
I am who You say I am
Who the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed
I'm a child of God
Yes I am
In my Father's house
There's a place for me
I'm a child of God
Yes I am
In my Father's house
There's a place for me
I'm a child of God
Yes I am
(Songwriters: Reuben Timothy Morgan / Benjamin David Fielding
Who You Say I Am lyrics © Hillsong Publishing, Hillsong Music Publishing Australia)
Sometimes, we have to remind ourselves of whose we are. Life tries to beat us down with everyday happenings that we start to lose the revelation that we were made to not just survivor here, but to thrive my dear. He has given us the authority to decide how we will follow through in our everyday happenings.
Disappointment, unmet expectations, unforgiveness, grief, blindsides, and betrayals are just a few of the hard things we will face in each one of our lifetimes. Humanity is hard. We don’t have it all figured out. We make mistakes even with good intentions. Our judgement calls end up hurting people. All this can make us believe we are not worthy of big dreams. How could God ever use a messed-up person like me? Sound familiar? To top it off, what about forgiving ourselves? We tend to believe we should have known better, done better, or tried harder. Can you hear your inner voice filling in the blanks? I know I can.
I want to encourage you today that you are never too far gone to dream again. Dreams are worth living out. You are worthy!! You are here in this time in history and that means God has dreams for you to fulfill in this season. I know as a mom, I feel pulled in a lot of different directions and it can get overwhelming. I am not asking you to add to what you are already doing. I am asking you to assess what you are doing and to have a heart chat. Is this the best use of my time and God given abilities? Just because you can doesn’t always mean you should.
I don’t want to look back over my life with a list of should haves. I want to look back and see a life of could haves, and so she did have. We have to give ourselves permission sometimes to dream big, and then bigger.
Recap:
You are worthy.
Giving yourself permission to dream is a good thing.
Surrender your should haves and ask the Father for a new list of could haves.
You have a destiny and it’s time to truly speak into it.
You have a unique story and voice ability.
Speaking over yourself has one of the most profound healing reactions of anything you can do when spoken with tender eternal truths.
Welp, I think that is enough for now. Tune in next week as we finish this dream theme.
Until next time,
Stay Tender
Connect to the Mender
Be a Sender