“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
—MATTHEW 7:11 NIV
What does it look like to dream and believe that God is working in those dreams, even if they don’t turn out? Do you trust that God wants to use those dreams?
I am living a life I never planned. And it has required more courage than I ever thought could fit in this five-foot-six-inch frame. Honestly, I am shocked that I am in my mid-thirties and have no husband and no children. But deep down in me is a fireball of hope. Not necessarily hope in the “I am for sure getting married someday” way, but hope in the “God knows what He is doing” kind of way.
I thought it would be way cooler to write about this later in my life. Like, when I am married to some awesome dude and we have three kids and a nice kitchen and I drive a cool-mom SUV and tiny shoes are scattered all throughout our house. Then I could tell all the singles to “hang in there because God has an amazing plan for your life!” And the section on singleness would be full of exclamation points because I find exclamation points to be very! encouraging! and uplifting!
But I am not going to stop hoping and dreaming. I think there is something really powerful about being smack in the middle of the unwanted season and being able to look you right in the eyeball (which I would if I could) and say, “God has not forgotten you. Your life and your dreams are important to God.”
I just want to tell you, from one in the trenches of this season of wanting something I don’t have (like most of us, I bet), that I am going to make it just fine. And if you are single and want to be married, or wishing you could have kids, or wanting a better job or home or city, I want you to know that you are going to make it too.
God has not forgotten you.
God hears us when we pray. He knows our hearts better than we do. He cares about you, and He cares about your dreams. So share your dreams with your Father, who loves you and loves to give you good gifts.
BE BRAVE: What dream is in your heart that you haven’t seen God do for you yet? What would it look like to be full of hope, even if you don’t know how this story is going to end?