Stewarding Dreams

I was at a party this past week having a great conversation with a new found friend. We were discussing how hard it is when you have little kids, to keep growing in the things you are passionate about. He is a musician. It brings him life and there is a passion in him to teach music at a community college. If you hear him talk about it, you know that he would be incredibly successful. It made me want to take up music...but I know better. It would be a short lived trend.

See, here is the catch...he has to wait. He has a growing family. Instead of buying new music equipment or going back to school for his Masters, he has to buy a car that will fit his family. Work a job that isn't a long term passion, so that he can provide for his family. He is doing the right thing. Our chat ended with a question. How do I steward the things that God has put in my heart, when I can't act on them yet?

As you are reading this there are little ideas or big dreams sitting in your heart waiting to burst out. But, like my friend, you can't do anything about them yet. Or can you? If God put something in your heart, it is your responsibility to steward that. What does that look like?

Here are three key things:

1. Be patient. Time is a great sifter. Waiting helps sort through what is God's dream and what is us being ambitious. Over time the word of God remains and all the bits that we added flake off. If we can't stay on fire over a period of years, then it probably isn't the flame we are meant to carry. If I ran with every dream that came through my mind, I would have been everything from a rancher (ha!) to a military intelligence analyst. (double ha!). While we wait, we pray. We contend in heaven for what we want on earth.

2. Build in Your Heart. No one starts a business and then builds a business plan. That would be stupid. We don't just sit on our couch waiting for the "magic moment" when we get the go ahead from God to run with these things...or wait around till our kids are grown and we have more time. No, we build. We learn, read and prepare for what He has for us. The season of waiting is key for getting our lives in order. Get real with your fears, insecurities or any other issues that would hender you when its time to run with your God given dreams.

3. Bloom where you are planted. If you can't thrive where you are, you won't thrive in the next place either. Its easy for me to think that my daily activities aren't that important & I will be a hard worker when the important things come along. Not true. If I can't keep my house clean, I can't shepherd a movement of women. Thrive in your heart & in your place of planting... wherever that is for now. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that when we are faithful with the little things we have been given, He will makes us ruler over much. This means don't blow off your marriage waiting for more important things to come. Don't mismanage your finances because you are waiting for the next big thing in investing to pay off. We don't look over the people in our lives to see which people are coming next. Engage and flourish.

I would like to encourage us all to take a minute and evaluate how we are treating the things God has placed in our hearts. Are we stewarding them? Or are we killing time waiting for our "big moment" to arrive? These are the things that have been rolling around in my heart this past week...hope they are helpful!