What are You Dreaming about?

February 16, 2016

What are you Dreaming about

So many times people ask, especially in the church world, What are you dreaming about? What are Gods goals and Dreams for you.  What “Big“ thing is God stirring or birthing inside of you?

I began to feel empty with these thoughts, overwhelmed that maybe God wasn’t doing anything in me because honestly,…I didn’t have a dream.  I didn’t have a plan. 

I began to seek and ask God what His master plan was, what His thoughts for me were?

Every. Single. Time.  I kept hearing, “Love Me”

Yeah, yeah, yeah…I love you God. But what else?  That’s not enough.  Everyone has these Lofty goals, Big visions, and passions? What about me? I want to be used by you!

“Love Me”

Why was I not satisfied with Gods answer to my question? Why am I demoting Gods plan, purpose and dream for me? To Love Him.  If I set out each and everyday with a plan to Love God with every word, action, thought…. WOW that is a big plan. That is a big Goal.

Chris and I were talking about this and he so wisely said…”Mandy, you may not feel like you have a dream because you are living your dream”

You see right now I AM living my dream.  As far back as my mind can take me to my most vivid early color filled memories they all are filled with me in some type of mothering caregiver role.  I have memories sitting in the corner of my yellow bedroom. YES- yellow walls, yellow, bedspread, yellow curtains yellow canopy on my canopy bed…surrounded with baby dolls, stuffed animals hugging them, singing to them, rocking them, putting them to sleep even leaving my largest doll with red curly hair and glasses in charge when I left the room!  If I wasn’t in my room I was outside in my playhouse using recycled pasta boxes and cans from my mom to fill my own pantry and table with plates of spaghetti (grass) and bowls of grapes (rocks) with chocolate pie (mud/dirt) for dessert.  

God was shaping me and teaching me even as a little girl, how to do what He created me to do.  I wasn’t in some kind of class, didn’t have a special degree, it just came natural.

So as I continue to pursue Christ, I’m not going to force myself to find a dream or a goal.  I’m going to make my best effort to do what He said.  What HIS calling for my life is “Love Him” 

However, the more I say that, and think of that, I can become overwhelmed.  To do that right, to live with purposeful Love for Him, the enemy can quickly try to make it feel like such a HUGE goal, dream and task that makes me feel that I shouldn’t even try for fear I’ll not measure up or simply fail.   But that’s  a lie from the Enemy! 

Loving Jesus is natural for me, easy for me…the more I love Him, pursue Him, know Him, know His words, the easier it will be to recognize ways I can love others more.

I love the Bible- John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word; and My Father will Love him, and WE will come to him and make our abode with him. 

WOW- the trinity is making my heart its home… God is calling me to love him so He can lead me.  Whatever opportunity that is right in front of my face, whoever comes across my path God can and will use me as his vessel to Love.

So that folks, is my dream, my God calling “big” purpose…to LOVE HIM.

If I love him I will keep his commands – John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands”

John 14: 21 “whoever  has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.  The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them”.- did you catch that?  God will show Himself to me!  I love that!  I understand that!  I want to show my own boys beautiful things like sunsets, the ocean, rainbows, a new plant bursting out of the ground in the spring…God will show himself to me through my opportunities to love, through me allowing others to love me, and through His creation.

My answer to the churchy question- “What is Gods call and dream for your life?”

Love Him.   That’s enough.   At the end of my life if people say anything of me, I hope they will say, “Mandy Haynes, Loved God well”

And Lord, may I daily allow you to Lavish your love on me (1 John 3:1)… LAVISH : Sumptuous, luxurious, colstly, expensive, luxurious, elaborate, generous, fancy love.

Just like I long to cuddle and hug my growing babies, God still wants to hold me.  How can He hold me? By reading his word, living in worship, stop trying to figure it out Mandy, let God lavish His love on you.  Love moves, Love protects, love never fails love is strong.  He is Love, without love (Him) I cannot do anything, I am nothing. I will find Him in my everyday moments in my daily opportunities when I say yes to what is in front of me. 

His presence is Heaven to me!--- Now I need to go listen to that song and Be Still and Know He is God and I welcome the Holy Spirit to make its home in my heart!