Craig Clouston

 

Follow Your Dreams

May 5

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit...

John 15:16

As the Hospice nurse listened, Gracie lamented, “I wish I’d had the courage to live my life as I wanted.”

“What do you mean, Gracie?”

“I mean that my heart's desire was to dance, not become a lawyer, trying cases that for the most part didn't matter to me beyond my responsibility to the client.”

“So why didn't you dance?”

“Expectations... Everyone in my life thought I was destined to do 'great things as an attorney!'” The later part was said with no small amount of sarcasm and regret.

The nurse understood. She'd heard this many times. “But that's not what your heart wanted?” It was more a statement than a question.

“I watched Juliet Prowse dance with Elvis Presley in his movies when I was a little girl. I knew that was what I wanted to do when I grew up.”

“What happened?”

“Everyone in my life echoed the same sentiment, 'Dancing won't give you the financial security that the law will, honey.' I wasn't strong enough to stand my ground, so I gave up trying to convince everyone how much dance meant to me.” The sadness was palpable.

†

God has purposed us to do something special, yet many times that 'something' gets trampled in the dust of living. And for whatever reason, we give up on our dreams.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Which means God will take what we do, and make the best of it. Yet, His desire is that we follow His initial leading, the fire which burns within us each time we think about doing that very thing.

I am not abdicating rebellion, but I am suggesting we weigh the cost of neglecting God's appointment for our lives. He chose us to do something special, something unique to us, so it comes down to a choice: do we believe God knows what He's doing, and how to provide for us? or...is that thing within us just a dream not meant to be fulfilled? The answer is yes to both except for the perception of the second choice. It is a dream, placed in our heart by God, and meant to be fulfilled!

Only you know what that dream is, and only you have the choice to follow it.

Prayer

“Papa, help me fulfill the dream You planted within me before my birth. Give me the courage to live that life above all others. In Jesus' Name. Amen.”