From Dreams to Reality

When I was a little girl, and my family was living in Europe, I attended a French speaking school. I had no friends, really, and I was a little lonely. My solace was during recess where I walked around the perimeter of our playground area (we were encompassed with a concrete wall surrounding us in an oval shape and a grated fence with tree leaves poking through) and stopped every once in awhile when I spotted a lady bug on a leaf and would sing to them about my day.

My love for singing grew, and when I was eight and American Idol premiered, I told my family that when I turned sixteen, I would audition for that show. My mom and I watched the show regularly and always agreed with Simon about what he said of the not so great singers, though, of course, believed he could have said it in a nicer way than how he said it.

I never auditioned for the show when I turned sixteen or any year after that, whether it was because I was too scared or wanted to focus on school, but the dream of being a singer never went away. I always tried telling myself that I probably would never be a singer and that was okay. I tried to convince myself that I really was okay with that, but I could never shake the feeling that I was meant to be a singer. I thought I was crazy for thinking that because I thought everybody wanted to be a singer or famous in some way, but I certainly didn't believe that I was going to be one of the one percenters of people who actually made it in the music industry.

Let me tell you something and please receive this: God has instilled in you a passion for a reason. And He's instilled in each one of us a different passion and calling in life. My idea of believing that everybody wanted to be famous was ridiculous! I've talked to so many people where they have anxiety if they were ever called on to read a passage in front of people and hate any sort of attention that focuses on themselves. However, they have a different love that God has given them. Whether it's teaching, being a missionary, photographer, filmmaker, dancer, writer - God has given us our own sets of talents and gifts to use and to glorify Him through it.

The more I talk to others about their dreams, the more I see how so uniquely we are all made! It is so incredible to hear what others dream of and what they want to do in their life! Even the people I have met through Instagram, where we have a similarity of having a faith based blog, still have their fingerprints all over it in how God has given us a specific design for how He wants to use your blog.

I have a dream of traveling, writing and singing, and I believe that God has given me those desires in my heart for a reason. But how do I get to that point? How do I know that God will make that dream a reality?

Well, the answer, as simple as it may seem, is that I have to trust Him that He will provide a way for me to be able to do each of those three things. And the thing about these three passions of mine, is that He is already fulfilling it for me in small steps!

I have had the wonderful opportunity of living in a family where I have traveled my whole life and each year I am traveling to a different place for my vacation. I planned my first trip with my best friend to New Orleans last year, as I've always wanted to, and we had a wonderful time! I've been able to travel to different cities in Texas while living here and I am always experiencing something new.

I am already writing, praise God, through this blog and through my Instagram profile. I had a desire back in November to start this blog, and I'm happy to say that, unlike every other writing project I've done in the past, I am actually following through with updating my blog and continuing to write despite whether I think people will read my blog or not.

I am singing more and more through church, friends, and just on my own. I'm on the worship team; I have given a couple concerts with a friend and by myself at a different church; and although I am not strong in the songwriting department, I'm still trying and have started writing multiple songs.

Of course, none of this I am actually able to make a living on at the moment. Which I am 110% okay with at the moment! I am continuing to learn how to write and sing better, and I am saving up money for down the road when I want to travel to other places. I have a lot of learning to do and am patiently waiting for God to show me what my next steps are in my career and in my personal life, but I trust that He will make it happen.

The key words are "patiently waiting". It could be years before God makes my dreams come true to where I can travel on the road and be a writer and singer full time, but I believe that He can make it happen. And even if He doesn't, I know that He will instill in me a new dream and reality that I will love even more because He's placed it on my heart.

Don't let your heart harden to God because you aren't seeing your dreams come true right away. Everything is all in His perfect timing. I believe the journey getting to that point is to grow you in your walk with Him, and also to strengthen the skill sets and gifts He's given you, so when your dream does become a reality, God can use you in a mightier way, and have you share His love so much more emphatically than if you were to have your dreams at a time when you weren't necessarily ready or equipped to carry it through.

Lamentations 3:35 says, "The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him." Friends, be patient and wait on His timing for He is so so good and has such a good plan for you with your gifts! Seek after Him and, in the waiting, He will bless you beyond belief.

Photo Credit: @enrique.lopez.photo