The Dream’s of a Child

{ JANUARY 12, 2016 }

Life is kind of funny, isnt it?

As children we planned and we dreamed and we dared to believe that anything was possible. We believed that we could be a super star, the president, and a brain surgeon. We believed that life would certainly be nothing short of extraordinary.

But somewhere along the way, things change in our thinking patterns. We begin to shrink our once larger than life dreams down to the size of our small town realities and told ourselves that we were foolish to dream so audaciously.  In essence, we stop believing that our lives were worthy of the extraordinary.

But what if this was never the way life was intended to be? What if we believed Jesus meant what He said when He said that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those with childlike faith?  What if the audacious dreams of our childhoods were meant to passionately propel us into a future where we daily fell in love with life itself- and with its Giver.

Yet, we live in a world that tells us to live only chasing what is not only possible, but what is most probable. But what a relief it is that this world does not get the final say about our destiny; the Father does. 

We were adopted by a Father who wrote such beautiful dreams for each of us and nestled them into our hearts as children. He delighted in our wonderment in them and was sadden when we saw them (and Him) as too grand for our little lives. But when we shook hands with the ordinary, He remained King of the extraordinary, and never forgot the dreams of our childhood.

When I was a child, a family of missionaries would frequently come and speak to the children in the church. They lived challenging yet thrilling lives full of adventures from taking the Gospel to lost and hurting people all over the world. I couldn’t get the stories out of my head! My young heart began to swell with excitement, “Daddy, I want to do something like that someday!” I told both my earthly and Heavenly Dad.

As I grew, my love for the Lord and for the lost did as well. I went on several week long trips to Mexico and Haiti and absolutely loved every moment of every trip. I would frequently ask the Lord to use me in any way that He wanted to.

I had said “yes” to a mission that had not yet been given out.

I had decided to go to Liberty U to get my degree in Worship and Artist Development to pursue other childhood dreams; becoming a song writer and recording artist. I decided that I wanted to share my life, and all that the Lord had done, with people through the songs I had written and that that would be my mission field.

When it was time to go on an internship I told my school that I wanted to get as close to LA as possible, in hopes of opportunities to perform and pursue a career in music there.

Can you imagine my surprise when Vegas called? 10 weeks at a church in Sin City? Although it wasn’t in my original plan, it sounded like an absolute blast.

My first week working as an intern for Grace City was full of hours of prayer and worship, and then hours of orientation. It was then that we learned that the staff are all missionaries, living on support, to the unreached people group of Las Vegas. I was completely in awe. I quickly fell in love with the Church, with seeing lives radically transformed there, and caught the Love that the Father has for every person in Sin City. My heart broke for this desert land where it was so incredibly dry; physically and spiritually.

After weeks and weeks of 120°+ weather, it began to down pour for about an hour all over the city. As my friends and I ran around jumping in puddles, laughing because joy had overflowed in our hearts, the Lord said, “YES” to the dreams of a child.

As He watered the dusty streets and restored the thirsty land, He sealed on my heart that He would do the same in the hearts of the people of Sin City. I then felt the dreams of my childhood swell in my heart once again, as I asked my Father if He would use me; if He would allow me to be an instrument in calling His kids in Las Vegas back to Him.

“Yes.”

He loves to say “YES” to our audacious dreams. He loves to say “Yes” to things we’ve forgotten we’ve ever asked for. He loves to surprise us and lavish the extraordinary upon us.

A life in the Father’s family is nothing short of extraordinary. Because HE is the King of extraordinary- extraordinary love, extraordinary grace, extraordinary dreams that become extraordinary realities.