Now, as several years have passed and I can see this story in the rearview mirror of my mind, it makes sense. The surrender and the beauty of God’s fulfillment and timing. God DID resurrect His dream in our hearts and made it all come to pass. It’s so crystal clear now. But then it was cloudy. Confusing. I believe this is for someone today who has heard from God about a dream but now it seems to be dying. Read. Enjoy. Take courage, friend. Take courage.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” ~Jesus
I understood that my dreams had to die.
Had I misread the story all these years?
Isaac was God’s idea. God’s promise. Sure, Abraham dreamed of having children, but Isaac, the child of promise — this all originated with God.
It was His idea in the first place.
Even though the dream was God’s it still had to die.
I often think of the story of Abraham and Isaac, in Genesis 22, as a story of a man laying his own love, his own hopes and dreams and desires onto the altar, willing to slay them out of sacrifice for God.
But that really isn’t the story. It was laying even the gift of God on the altar.
To die.
It was believing God to take care of His own dream. To resurrect Isaac from the dead (Heb. 11:19).
Is there anything not subject to His summons to surrender?
Do we believe that even God-dreams can be resurrected from the dead?
Must be?
Just over a year ago God gave us a dream. Nothing earth-shattering, but a simple dream to sell and downsize our home, give half of our income, pay off our mortgage, and invest more of our hearts in God’s work around the world. (where your treasure is there your heart will be…).This was not an obligation, this was a joy. What began as mere obedience has become an holy obsession. The verse is right — we aim our pocketbooks and our hearts aren’t far behind.
But this year has also been one of frustration.
Why, God? You gave us this dream. We put our house on the market, have stretched ourselves as far as we can until it sells. All the houses around us have sold for more than we’re asking. Why have you allowed it to show 80+ times without a single offer? This year feels like a big waste of time. Can you see God that there are children starving and I WANT to give to them but I have this millstone-sized mortgage tied around my neck. And yes, there is a principle — we sow what we reap. I prayed for this house and this house I have. No complaints, simply lying in the bed I’ve made.
Then this week it finally clicked, as I gave up. Decided it was over. Came to terms with the fact that it just ain’t happening right now. God is certainly on the move and I am enthralled by His amazing work, but it is not His time to sell our house and that’s ok.
Then while I’m hauling five yards of bark dust, preparing for our final Open House before we take it off the market, as I’m raking the hillside in 92-degrees, feeling the strange euphoria of having just let something go, the thought rests on my heart:
Even the dreams God gives must die.
Of course. The dying thing.
I had understood that my dreams had to die.
But I had missed the whole story. Abraham lays God’s dreams on the altar, because God is able to take care of His own dreams.
Why hasn’t it sold? I don’t pretend to know. Perhaps we did entirely miss God’s will. Or, perhaps, He just wants that dream to die.
And as we prepare to take it off the market for now — to give ourselves a break and catch our breath before trying again next year — I know one thing for sure: God is more than able to resurrect all that He lets die.
Even the dreams He gives.
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{Are there any God-dreams that may need to die today? The tough thing about dying is that it’s just so much like … dying. Praying grace for you today. Thanks for reading.}
Speaking of a God-dream, we have an awesome opportunity to witness one of these God-dreams and BE PART of its fulfillment! Dear reader Lacey Maloney and her family are in the process of adoption and are sharing their story here. Watch, pray, give. Thank you.
9 thoughts on “When your God-dream is dying…”
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Wow. It was just last night that I told God I wasn’t going to focus on the dream He’d given me anymore, that if it was going to come to pass, He would have to do all of it, because I was incapable of doing anything to see it come to pass. Just last night, with a heavy heart, I placed the dream God had given me back into His hands to do with as he wished. Thank you for writing this.
Thanks so much for sharing this Kari. I’ve had this “God dream” that started to come together quite rapidly 2 years ago and then had to be put on the alter just as quickly as it began as God put Me into a season of massive busyness with work and family. now I’m living on the mission field and still don’t seem to have the opportunity I need to finish this project. It’s something I think about each day and am praying and waiting on The Lord for it to resurrect again. It has the same purpose as yours, to benefit others. I’m just dying to do it! I will be praying for you to have patience too as God works in us to make us ready for the next scene of these dreams. Love you!
Thank you for sharing, Amy! Praying patience, wisdom, hope, joy, as you wait for this God-dream. Bless you, sister!
Just keep doing what you need to do as He leads, you’ll be fine and its good that you see that now. I am waiting too for what /where He leads me too. God Bless
Wow Kari… thanks for sharing this. God gave me a dream, sell our house & get out of debt to better do His work. Same thing here about the house, it isn’t selling, don’t know why, “But God you told me to do this?” And your words, “And yes, there is a principle — we sow what we reap. I prayed for this house and this house I have. No complaints, simply lying in the bed I’ve made.” is right where I am. This has helped me some. Thank you.
Dear Ashley, praying encouragement for you today! Also as an encouragement, just so you know, after exactly a year our house DID sell, and God did above and beyond what we could have hoped. We changed our lifestyle dramatically and have found so much joy! God is so faithful; He will accomplish His work in His time! Praying joy and hope for you today. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
The amazing thing is that sometimes God just wants us to be obedient to his will. To ‘show up’ when called, and sometimes that is the lesson. And you guys passed the test! As you told this story it seemed clear that He had no intention of you selling at that point, 80 plus showings…wow. But what a pure heart to put your house, that you had prayed for, up for sale, in obedience to His call. That’s not a dream dying that’s faithfulness in action. Good stuff.
Thank you for your kind words, Maggie!