Girl, DREAM!

I was walking out of my kitchen the other day when a thought rammed itself into my mind out of nowhere. 

"Girl, DREAM!"

It stunned me a little, but then it got me to thinking. See, I remember a time in my life when the world was so big. Anything seemed possible. I couldn't wait to grow up and be free to do whatever I wanted. Not in a reckless way, but in a pure way where I could help keep the world peaceful and good. 

Then as life went on, little pieces of that innocent thinking started slipping away. A whole new world was being opened up to me. I experienced betrayal, hurt, and the reality of what the world was truly like. I felt stupid for ever thinking it was anything other than this. What a silly, sheltered, little girl I had been.

I remember, one day, craving to find that innocence again. I went rummaging through my house looking for old videos just so I could have a glimpse of that little girl I once was. I don’t know why. I just really missed her.

I never found the videos, but I did find hope and truth which proved to be exactly what I needed.

I grew up with a dream in my heart. It was a good dream. A dream I knew God supported and even allowed to come true. However, what I didn’t expect was for that dream to turn into a nightmare. That experience changed me, but here is the truth I found. The mindset I grew up with, while sweet, was absolutely unrealistic. The hope I found was that, even when one dream dies, another one is soon to come. The hard part, however, is allowing the new dream to become a possibility. I get it. It’s scary because of the “what ifs”.

What if it’s too big?

What if it doesn’t come true?

What if it all falls apart?

And the biggest “what if”….What if I'm not going to be good enough?

I’m sure you, beautiful girl, can relate. Maybe not to the naivety I once had. Maybe you grew up knowing exactly what the world was like. Maybe you faced your nightmare at an all too early age. For that, I am so sorry. 

But, hey, we are here now! 

We made it through all the things life tried to throw at us and we are here walking it out together! Whatever life has dealt, may we never let it keep us from dreaming. To all the “what ifs” let's say “Oh, well!”

The miraculous thing about humans is our ability to survive. We were created to survive and we have. So, let’s take it a step further and not only survive, but thrive. Dust off that dream you once had, but maybe let go of. Step out of the cage of disappointment, shake off all the insecurities, find your new footing, spread those wings, and fly. 

It's time, girl, to dream!