Over and over again I've been hearing stories from people who are going after their dreams. Some are young and filled with a zeal for life that has met little resistance. I like hanging around young people, because it reminds me of what it is like to run after life with untamed passion.
Others who have felt the excitement of life wane over the years, have recently met with the God who awakens dormant desires. They are taking giant leaps of faith to run after their dreams once again, regardless of cost.
Living life with passion is always the right choice.
My heart has been stirred to encourage you today! Many of you have been contemplating what it would be like to take a risk and go after your dreams - some for the first time, and others with renewed hope.
Let me speak to those who believe that they are past their prime in life, and whatever goals and dreams they once had, are long gone. Stop believing the lie that life has crippled you! Life hasn't crippled you, it has prepared you for this season. It has made you stronger and left you with a limp to remind you how much we must rely on the Lord. It is time to take the untamed passion and zeal we had when we were young Believers, and unite it with the wisdom and humility we have gained.
Running after dreams is wonderful! It is exciting! But the fulfillment of that dream is not our identity. It may be part of it, but it isn't the core of who we are. It took me years of living on the mission field to learn this lesson. For a long time I thought ministry was my identity, but it isn't. Our true identity is found when there is nothing to wrap our hands around, except for the Lord. It's one of the reasons He allows us to go through hard times ~ to find out who we really are. To realize we are okay just because we have found ourselves in Him.
It wasn't until I felt that I had nothing besides Him, and that I would be okay with staying safely tucked away in Him, that I began to soar. Intimacy is the key to understanding. What seems like destruction in our lives, can eventually catapult us into our destiny when we remained fixed in Him during that destruction. We find beauty in our ashes. We find strength in weakness. We find faith in abandoning ourselves to Him.
I've found satisfaction in this season of my life, not just because I've begun to step into something I secretly desired for years, but because I'm finally okay with being me. I'm happy with who I am as His child, and any mask I used to wear to appear more acceptable to my peers, has been burned away in the fire of God's passionate love for me. He loves me; and because I am secure in His love, I am able to take great leaps of faith, even if I fall, because I know my Father will pick me up and brush me off. He kisses away the pain of the past and ignites my heart to soar past man made limitations.
My desire for you today is that you too will soar! That you too will shake off the past and take that leap of faith you've been contemplating. Know that the Lord has kissed that limp and in your weakness you will find His strength to move forward.
I'd love to hear your thoughts, and if this has spoken to you today, please share!