Dream On

When I was in high school, my aunt, who had seen the movie Pretty Woman, told my parents that it was a perfectly acceptable movie to take me to watch. And then in a crowded theater, where we were all separated because there were no seats together, my aunt slid further and further down in her seat as she watched the movie through the eyes of a teenager and her parents. And in the meantime, I found one of my all-time favorite movies.

You know why? Because it was a story about dreams and fighting through to follow a dream.

If you have seen the movie, you probably remember at the very beginning there is a guy walking down the streets of Hollywood saying, “Welcome to Hollywood! Everybody has a dream! What’s your dream? What’s your dream? Hey mister – What’s your dream?”

We all have dreams. As children we dreamed of what we would be when we grew up. As adults we dream of what we will be when we grow up. Our dreams can keep us motivated and focused. Our dreams can keep us pushing through the tough stuff of life.

Over the years I have had many dreams:

• To be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader
• To be a wife and mom
• To be a singer
• To be a lawyer
• To be a speaker
• To be a pastor

Some of these have come true and some haven’t.

• I obviously didn’t make the Dallas Cowboys cheer team – but I got to cheer in college and coach college and now Jr. Comets cheer leading.
• I am blessed to be a wife and mom.
• I may not be a professional singer, but I have gotten to sing in many venues and, my favorite, lead worship in church.
• Lawyer – still not off the table. 🙂
• I have gotten to speak to various groups over the years, and get to preach regularly.
• I am following the Lord towards ordination and pastoral ministry.

One thing I notice about most of my dreams is that the impetus behind them is to speak into the lives of others and offer hope. That is what I always want to happen when I sing. That is what I always want to happen when I speak. That is what I always want to happen as I walk with others through life. That is what I want to happen with my spouse and children as we live life together. That is one of the reasons that law school isn’t off the table. That is what I always want to be a part of the relationships I am building with my cheer girls.

So I guess that means that all these specific dreams could be boiled down into one main dream for my life:

• To speak into the lives of others and offer hope, with the help of Christ

Have you ever made a list of your dreams? Have you ever looked at them to see what the “common thread” is that runs through them?

I think it is a good exercise – if for no other reason than to put down on paper what your dreams are.

Because sometimes we lose track. And often those dreams are things that the Lord has placed in our hearts, things that we desire because He desires them for us, and we need to be reminded.

Psalm 37: 4-5 says:

Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.