Why is it important to dream and what does that even look like? In a capitalistic society, it looks like the world defining you. Getting caught up in the hustle and bustle is labeled as the "American Dream". The idea of this is ludicrous.
We are crafted by a loving Savior not the image of our society. This is not to say Americans can't be united under the image of God, nor is it to say we can't be likeminded in faith or influenced by our cultural habits. Impossible! We are deep-rooted in our culture, and the opposite is true. However, if we allow our identity to be formed by our country or government rather than our Creator, we miss the point of our soul.
For instance, I often have people tell me I am a nurse. In conversations and ice breakers, people want to know who I am. Or do they…
When asked, "what do you do?", they don't want to hear, "I manage and divert crises, optimize patient care, advocate for the broken, have compassion over all of them, pray with the lost at bedside. On my day-to-day routine, I'm victimized by families and doctors yet I will respond with grace." No, they want to know my profession, not to know me.
That's a real shame because on January 6th I was told 15 hours before I should have left with Mercy Ships that I was no longer eligible to serve. What society would tell me is my purpose no longer exists. But I serve a bigger God, one who accepts my combative spirit with loving arms until I melt into His embrace. He softens my heart until I change my perspective and refuse to fall into this devastating trap society would rather me believe. I may no longer be serving onboard Mercy Ships as a pediatric nurse but my purpose and potential are not reached.
This is my beginning: yet learning how to dream. When I cannot explain why not Africa, I'll explain why not dream instead. God is good. It's irrevocable and irrefutable and my entire soul believes in His sovereignty.
Recently, I was challenged to "go somewhere weird and dream" by my greatest mentors. As I reflect atop a rooftop in downtown Phoenix, I hear kids splashing in the pool behind me and planes flying overhead. God is calling on my heart in new ways, some yet to be defined.
His timing is perfect, though not always what we would do. Admittedly, 15 hours before an intercontinental trip isn't what I would do to cancel but it begets attention. Should it have been canceled months prior, the previous emotional seasons of my life would have looked different and I wouldn't have quit my job. These are truly blessings in disguise.
I had the privilege to dream with my fiancé Jordan in a way we wouldn't have otherwise. I watched care, love, support and mercy pour out of him as God taught him both how to lead and serve me. As if that isn't enough, during this time, serving together became our dream as Jordan took on a role volunteering with the CCV Students' Ministry alongside me. We dreamt of missions together and both served as coaches on the Mexico missions team.
While it may require a change in perspective, I still became Benin. God has been most faithful in showing me this. I became Benin for a year as I prepped to serve God overseas. The posture of my heart did not change; He just needed me elsewhere more. #becomingbenin
My lifelong goal has always been to help people. Now I know God will wreck that as He makes me new in His image. He will reveal to me how to dream and what it looks like to apply those dreams for His glory. Helping people is just the tip of the iceberg, for He will make my paths straight, declaring the plans He has for me (see Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 29:11). There's a certain level of excitement in the unknown. It's not perfect, which is great because neither am I.
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