As
the Year of Dreams 2012 comes to a close, I have been processing how to keep
Dreaming in 2013. After much contemplation, it seems to essentially boil down
to one thing: Risk.
No, not that one.
Risk
is scary. It requires us to step out of our comfort zones and into the unknown.
It means we can get hurt. It means we can become confused. It means things can
get difficult. And it means we can fail.
These
things paralyze us from even leaving our front door. Visions of past failures
and past pain keep us from taking any action outside the confines of our
“safety” box. It’s probably very cozy and warm in there, but here’s the thing:
you’re probably not being super effective and you may be robbing yourself from
a Great Adventure that God is calling you on. This can be anything from field trips, relationships, going
after a goal, or even trying something new. Why not?
Here
are a just few reasons why it is actually safe to take the risk of Daring to
Dream in 2013:
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD,
‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future.’” Jeremiah 29:11
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified
because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you
nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And
the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or
afraid.” John 14:27
Trusting God can seem like a risk. But He always knows what
he’s doing. Both in the Bible and in my own life experience, God has been the
only one who has never let me down. Yes, there were times that I didn’t
understand why I had to experience some things. Yes, there was pain. But, it
was used for good.
One
benefit of trusting and believing God is the redemption of sucky situations.
There is a lot of pain in the world. You will get hurt. However, if you are
open to it, God will use your hurts and pains to help you grow into the person
you were meant to be. Otherwise, you carry all of those burdens on your own
back and get tired. And sore. And, sometimes, it can feel pretty hopeless.
And you could end up like this guy.
This
is part of the reason why we as humans do our best to avoid pain. We are pretty much physiologically
programmed to keep away from it. As modern humans, we are programmed to avoid
anything uncomfortable or difficult.
I’ve
been watching an interesting series on the History Channel called “Mankind: The
Story of All of Us”. The show chronicles all of the achievements of mankind
since the discovery of fire, all the way through the modern technology of
today. Each victory in battle, in discovery and in invention all starts with
someone willing to step out of their comfort zone and take a risk.
Funnily enough, they forgot this invention.
2012
has been a year of risks for me. I began with jumping out of a plane. Then I
set a goal in a sport that I’m not very good at where I could have failed
pretty hard. Then I took to the continent of Europe with nothing but a
rucksack, a plan(ish) and a dream. I made deeper connections with people. I
interviewed for a job that I thought I wasn’t qualified for. I dreamed.
For
the first time in my life I trusted God enough to leave the Shire and go on an
adventure. And it was good. I faced some trolls, some danger and some dragons.
But it was good. I have grown in more ways than I can count and am inching
closer to being the woman that God has created me to be.
I'm going on an adventure in 2013!
And it’s nice
to know that I’ve always got the Shire to come back to.
The applause is nice, too.
Here’s to the
adventures of 2013! Happy New Year Everyone!
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