Same Dreams

In a book I am reading the author states, “This may be the most extraordinary mark of the Spirit of God within the heart of humanity: the freedom to live out dreams greater than ourselves.”

To me this quote means that because of Him, we are able to have dreams that, as another one of my favorite authors once wrote, “are destined to fail without God intervention.” Because of Him, we are able to dream big dreams. We are able to dream of His kingdom coming. We are able to dream of His love, hope, comfort, joy, strength, and so much more, reaching those in need. We are able to dream of lives lived where He is enough.

Everyone dreams. Everyone wants more. At least in my little experience, I have found this to be true. This isn’t always in a greedy way.  Many simply want more from their lives, they don’t want to waste it, they want to live fully for Him, and they want to pursue dreams bigger than themselves. I think this is a beautiful and noble thing. And I think it is for everyone, but sometimes, I wonder if we really believe that.

We dream the impossible, but find hope, even in our weakness and inability, because of Him. Why would this be any different for those with disabilities? Why wouldn’t God use them with their inabilities the same way He uses us in our inabilities? I often just wish that we would stop thinking that they are somehow incapable of so much. Sure, they often can’t do many things “we” can, but that doesn’t mean it’s always the case. I guess I just wish we would share the same hope and belief for them and their dreams, as we would for ourselves.

This week I met with one of my friends who suffered from some seizures and now has some mental disabilities. It happened to be her birthday this week and as we talked she shared of her dream to one day be married and raise a family of her own. She turned 36 and so she also shared her fear of how she is getting older, and she wonders if she ever will. I guess it is a little different since I am only 21, but seeing as I have never even dated, I have for sure shared the same fear! Except if I were to share this fear, I would right away be told that that isn’t the case, and that God has someone for me. I wonder though, if everyone would do the same for her, or would they at best say, maybe?

I don’t know if she ever will, and I know that many would even argue that she shouldn’t. But as she shared, I saw how this wasn’t just some selfish dream. This friend of mine is so full of love, and so eager to share that love and care for others. This is a dream bigger than herself, and one that she has prayed out to God. It’s a dream just like mine, and so my hope is that we would all agree with her freedom to truly dream in this way, and not see it as unattainable just because of her inabilities. I hope one day, that we will not look at others for who they are to the world, but who they are to and because of Christ.