Dreamy Nightmares

For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.

For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD.

Jeremiah 29:8-9

I recently watched a movie based on the life of a Christian singer. The Lord taught me many things through watching this persons life. One of the things that hit me came in the form of a dating relationship. The young man was completely taken with this girl. They loved each other and he even wrote a song for their wedding day. In one scene they talk about their life's dreams. Hers seemed simple enough, she wanted to be a wife and mother. Well the man is soon called to go to Nashville because of his music, and despite his pleading with her, she won't go with him. We see his breaking heart and loneliness and I could hardly stand to watch it. 

I left with this question weighing heavily in my mind, how different would his life have been if she had married him? If she had been willing to let go of "her" dreams, to trust the Lord, that He knew her heart far better than she. 

Of course I know better than to have my own dreams, I have the Lord's dreams... right? 

I recently asked the Lord, "How does a person live today?" 

It's so easy to live in the past or in the future, but it's proven to be difficult for me to live in the moment. Not that I don't like the moment, but it's hard to hold still in it when your life is being tossed about on this stormy mental sea of what-was and what-will-be. 

Well that question must have rang in Jesus ears like the disciples plea for Him to wake up on that stormy boat ride. Because with one word He calmed that mental sea to peace.

What was that word? Dreams. 

Apparently the dreams I thought were His were really mine. My parents always taught me, when the Lord says something about the future write it down! AND DON'T ADD ANYTHING TO IT!!! 

Well I wasn't trying to add anything to it, but overthinking it can have the same effect.

Our life is like a 1000 piece puzzle and He's given us about 3 pieces. And as diligent puzzle builders we set out to make sense of those three pieces. Soon our lack of pieces causes us to start building our own. We guessed that brown line coming through one of the pieces was a flagpole so we build a flag and what's a flag without a blue sky to fly it in? And maybe some birds to brighten things up a little. Next thing you find yourself with a crayon picture and three puzzle pieces taped to it. You show your master piece to the Lord but He seems to pay it no mind and just keeps giving you more pieces that don't match your picture. 

Your pile of "don't know what that is" pieces grows as your prayer times fill up with your venting frustrations. "Why won't You let me move forward in Your plan Lord? I don't understand?"

The other day the Lord drew me up onto His lap and pulled my 3 pieces off of my picture. Then in His own fatherly way asked about that pile of other pieces I'd pushed to the side. 

"What about those pieces? I gave them to you because I wanted to use them."

"But Daddy, I don't know where they go."

"That's okay, you don't need to, because I do."

People often think the Lord is a puzzle piece hog, not wanting to share. Well I believe He's already given most of the pieces away, not to you, but to all the people who are going to come into your life and add to the picture. They have your pieces and the Lord holds the most important piece of all... the box lid. He has the whole picture, the complete plan as He willed it in His heart.

We don't need dreams.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

He's already thinking of us, and has all our days planned out so we don't need to. I dumped my dreams and I've never felt such peace. I don't know where I'm going, but I never did anyway. And I have great hope, not because I can see my future, but because I can see the one leading me today. 

When you don't have "dreams" the moment you're in suddenly matters, because it's all you have, and you know that the Lord willed that moment to be and so you treasure it for all He desires to do with it.

What are your dreams? Have you caused yourself to dream them? Don't allow them to steal another moment of your life. Or like that girl in the movie, don't allow them to keep you from the life He has planned for you.