Delighted to be linking-up again with God-sized Dreamers today.
Won’t you join us for encouragement and support as we dream together?
Won’t you join us for encouragement and support as we dream together?
I love musicals! You can imagine my delight when we attended the Child of the Promise musical many years ago. Stirring, inspiring songs surrounded the Christmas story in a top-notch stage show. One of the songs, in particular, has stuck with me for years. The bible character Elizabeth sings a song, When the Dream Never Dies, after she finds out she is going to have a baby after years of barrenness. The profound lyric that has surfaced in my heart over the years is, “He has given me back what I laid at His feet- it must be God when the dream never dies.”
From seventh grade on I began my journey of being in musicals; one a year through my senior year. Being in these shows fed something deep within. Unfortunately, I was “living for the applause” and shining in the spotlight to gain glory for myself and my talents. My pride and need for acceptance was being fed as I showed off. Being in musicals did help me enjoy school much more. But, I was quite a diva. I also made some impure choices behind the scenes in my theater days.
When I came to college I wanted a fresh start. I considered trying out for Fiddler on the Roof but I chickened out, afraid that I wouldn’t be doing it for the right reasons and might be tempted to make compromising choices again. As I discovered what it really meant to have a love relationship with Christ, during my freshman year of college, I felt compelled to lay down my theater dreams on the altar; surrendering my dreams, entrusting them to the Lord. I was unsure whether or not He would ever allow me to pick them back up, but, I knew it was what I needed to do.
Throughout the years I did some skits at church and helped put on a Easter production, but I never got on stage in the secular arena until this past December. Almost eighteen years later, I felt like it was okay to go audition again. Darling daughter and I auditioned for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It was such a joy to try-out together and be back on-stage. We were floored when we both got two of the lead roles.
Back in the day, I did theater for me…for my glory, for my fame. Now, although there were traces of that still woven in, I had a different approach. This time I relied on God’s strength to memorize all those lines and tried to rehearse and perform with more humility and purity. Of course I didn’t get it right every time, but it felt different- better, redeemed. He gave me back what I laid at His feet. I was a bit uncomfortable with the attention I received and tried to downplay it and deflect it. Funny, how God gave it back when He knew I would handle it better and differently.
All along God cared about this dream. As I entrusted it to Him all those years ago, He kept it safe in His keeping, and then He gave it back in a resurrected form…in a refined state…the dream redeemed for His purposes and glory.
From seventh grade on I began my journey of being in musicals; one a year through my senior year. Being in these shows fed something deep within. Unfortunately, I was “living for the applause” and shining in the spotlight to gain glory for myself and my talents. My pride and need for acceptance was being fed as I showed off. Being in musicals did help me enjoy school much more. But, I was quite a diva. I also made some impure choices behind the scenes in my theater days.
When I came to college I wanted a fresh start. I considered trying out for Fiddler on the Roof but I chickened out, afraid that I wouldn’t be doing it for the right reasons and might be tempted to make compromising choices again. As I discovered what it really meant to have a love relationship with Christ, during my freshman year of college, I felt compelled to lay down my theater dreams on the altar; surrendering my dreams, entrusting them to the Lord. I was unsure whether or not He would ever allow me to pick them back up, but, I knew it was what I needed to do.
Throughout the years I did some skits at church and helped put on a Easter production, but I never got on stage in the secular arena until this past December. Almost eighteen years later, I felt like it was okay to go audition again. Darling daughter and I auditioned for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It was such a joy to try-out together and be back on-stage. We were floored when we both got two of the lead roles.
Back in the day, I did theater for me…for my glory, for my fame. Now, although there were traces of that still woven in, I had a different approach. This time I relied on God’s strength to memorize all those lines and tried to rehearse and perform with more humility and purity. Of course I didn’t get it right every time, but it felt different- better, redeemed. He gave me back what I laid at His feet. I was a bit uncomfortable with the attention I received and tried to downplay it and deflect it. Funny, how God gave it back when He knew I would handle it better and differently.
All along God cared about this dream. As I entrusted it to Him all those years ago, He kept it safe in His keeping, and then He gave it back in a resurrected form…in a refined state…the dream redeemed for His purposes and glory.
When the Dream Never Dies
“Deep in my heart was an ember of longing
kept warm by the flame of desire
A dream held in secret I yearned to hold openly
fanned by my hope into fire
It burned to such heat I could touch it no more
So I put it away and then closed up the door
Forever extinguishing all that would keep it alive
But the dream never dies
“Deep in my heart was an ember of longing
kept warm by the flame of desire
A dream held in secret I yearned to hold openly
fanned by my hope into fire
It burned to such heat I could touch it no more
So I put it away and then closed up the door
Forever extinguishing all that would keep it alive
But the dream never dies
The Lord has done this for me
He has looked on me kindly
He has heard all my cries
he has given me back what I laid at His feet
It must be God
When the dream never dies
Isn’t it just like the Lord to invite me
To put all my dreams in his hands
Forever releasing the grip that once held them
Forever surrendering my plans
And then when He’s certain it’s not born of men
He calls for the fire to rekindle again
And He asks me to know in my heart
What’s not seen with my eyes
So the dreams never dies
The Lord has done this for me
He has looked on me kindly
He has heard all my cries
He has given me back what I laid of his feet
It must be God
When the dream never dies.”
Listen to When the Dream Never Dies as performed by Donna Summer,
from Child of the Promise musical.
from Child of the Promise musical.
Has God ever given you back a dream that you had given to Him, or given up on? I would love to hear about it.
Have you entrusted a dream to God and He is still keeping it for you?
I know the pain of dreams deferred. Sometimes He gives them back, sometimes He takes them away, sometimes He changes them. Bottom line? He is trustworthy. Allow Him to hold your dreams while He holds your heart. May His desires be ours and may we remember that He is good and He loves us more than we can imagine.
Psalm 33:20-22 “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”
Have you entrusted a dream to God and He is still keeping it for you?
I know the pain of dreams deferred. Sometimes He gives them back, sometimes He takes them away, sometimes He changes them. Bottom line? He is trustworthy. Allow Him to hold your dreams while He holds your heart. May His desires be ours and may we remember that He is good and He loves us more than we can imagine.
Psalm 33:20-22 “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”
Oh, how your words spoke to me!! Yes, I too handed it all back, a few years ago…it was just too much and, well, when you’re not doing it 100% for Him, it can be flat out terrifying…like nightmare inducing. And now, only very, very recently I see the amazing ways He is handing it back and it’s just like you explained it…the same feeling! I love how He restores!!
Christine- “I love how He restores”, indeed. I think about the story of Joseph the Dreamer and how God brought about His purposes (that He had all along) at the right time and for the right reasons…a post for another day.:) Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your site- such an encouragement and place of support for dreamers like me.:)
Oh my goodness how I can relate! I feel like I’m constantly doing a heart check. I don’t want my writing to ever become about “me” and living for the applause.
“Forever surrendering my plans And then when He’s certain it’s not born of men He calls for the fire to rekindle again”<==YES this! Love those lines.
Alecia- Thank you- linked up your “I live for the applause” post today in the above post. Loved reading that -good word.:)