Living the dream

The other night I was lying in bed next to my husband, checking my emails etc. He was sound asleep snoring softly (?), the rain was gently falling outside, my sweet puppy was laying at my feet. I took a moment to breathe in and savor the moment.

Over the weekend we spent some time with the kids at the park. The boys played around on the playground, my daughter and I walked the dog enjoying some "girl time" together. My husband relaxed on a bench nearby. It was another moment to breathe in and savor, which I did.

On Sunday we spent some time with some of our family in the area. We sat around the table talking, catching up, laughing and enjoying each others company. It was a fun time. Another one of those moments you step away from and savor.

All these moments have been a good reminder to me of God's faithfulness. The world around me may be falling down at my feet but God remains the same. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He gives me glimpses of His true character in the madness of my life. There are so many things I can not begin to understand or comprehend. God's ways are higher. They are higher than my earthly thoughts, higher than my lofty ideals, higher than my dreams of grandeur.

In these quiet and simple moments of my life, I realize I am living "the dream". I am blessed. My kids are healthy, my husband is loving and committed to me. I have a roof over my head and food in my pantry. I have a place to lay my head every night, a reliable car to drive, clothes to wear. I attend a thriving, growing church that preaches the Word of God and encourages me in my walk with the Lord. I am healthy and have good friends. God has given me so much. That is what I need to focus on. I need to align my thinking with His word. He is my healer, my provider, my strength, my shield, my deliverer. He is my song in the night, my shelter in the storm, my fortress in which I stand.

The dreams I have when I sleep are sometimes hard to understand, don't make sense and are jumbled. Sometimes they are full of people I love and hold dear. Other times they are sad or even scary. And at times they are full of things I desire and am passionate about. But they are my dreams. And that is why I say I am living the dream.

We all have desires God has placed in our hearts. Whether or not we serve Him, He created us and placed things inside of us that we need to accomplish. Things we were created to do for Him. It's all part of the dream. Some of us know what we will do when we are 5 years old. Others may not know until we are 20, 30, 40 maybe even 50. But when we discover it, it is life changing. God wants us to pursue our passions and fulfill the dreams He has placed inside of us. Sometimes to live the dream, we have to go through some stuff. But that "stuff" helps us in realizing the dream and getting closer to our purpose.

I have gone through some "stuff" over the past 4 years. In that, God has gotten me to the place where I realize I really am living the dream. It is full of those I love and hold dear, things I desire and am passionate about. It is full of things I don't understand and things that don't make sense. But as long as I keep my eyes on Jesus, I believe He will bring me to the place where I realize my full potential in Him and am living it daily. That is what dreaming is all about!