Dreams… I’ve always had dreams.  Some started as small thoughts, turned into do-able ideas, then over time became full-blown dreams.  They are solid, a part of my soul, they never leave.  I keep giving them back to God, praying for patience to endure the waiting, for peace if I need to let them go.  There is no shortage of other dreams to take place of the ones that leave.  There is no shame in letting them go, no failure in their absence.  There is just more, different, new dreams. 

There have been patches of my life that were left dream-less.  Times of loss and sorrow that bore too greatly on me to dream my dreams.  Days when I couldn’t see past the minute I was enduring.  Darkness that kept out the light.  But the dreams were still there, sleeping, waiting for a tiny beam of light to break through so I could see them once again.  They only need a beam, one beam of light to let you know they are there.

Dreams never die.  Not really.  They might change, they might grow, they might shrink, they might hide.  But they never die.

They do need you to dream them, though.  They need your hope, your creativity, your unique je-ne-sais-quois. 

Often times dreams will bring rejection.  Don’t be discouraged – this only points you clearer in the true direction they should take. 

Dreams will morph.  Don’t stifle them – this only gives you a clearer picture of exactly what they are.

Dreams will quiet.  Don’t let them go – this only means the time is not right, and dreams can only happen when the time is right.

Dreams will spread.  Don’t try to keep them to yourself – this only means the dreams are actually bigger than you could ever imagine on your own.

Dreams will often become reality.  Don’t be afraid of them – this only means you achieved success and sometimes success is harder than failure.

Mountain tops and valleys… dreams bring you to both places.  They take you on roller coaster rides.  They leave you excited and down-in-the-dumps – sometimes even on the same day!  They are not tame, they are not safe, they will change your life.

The only regret would be in never dreaming them at all. 

I finished a book recently called The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson.  One line really struck me.  “The size of the Need would become the size of our Dream.” 

Dreams are sometimes just for us – like the dream I have of cycling across Canada one day. 

But there are other dreams – like my husband’s dream of building a  medical clinic called Caleb’s Hope (named after our middle son who was stillborn) that meet a need – a big need.  How does that change the dream?  I can only imagine it might include alot more than just one clinic.

So let those dreams loose, and while you’re at it, DREAM BIG.

Here’s a review of the book that gives you a brief glimpse of the story – he wrote the first part of the book like a parable.