I’m
so happy to have Gail Johnson as my guest today. Gail is a friend and writer
who has a heart for God, and although she struggles with health issues, she
continues to pursue her dreams. I know her words will inspire you to do the
same! ~ Dawn
Guarding
Your Dreams
Dream thieves come in many forms—time, lies, abuse,
depression, disease, perfectionism, and marital issues—just to name a few.
A
dreamer must guard his dream.
Where would we be if dreamers had given
up on the airplane, the automobile, electricity, or the telephone?
Now
go back even further to biblical times … We’re given wonderful examples of how
important our dreams are to our heavenly Father, and what can happen when we
don’t let challenges and discouragement get the better of us.
Joseph was a dreamer. As a teen, he shared his dream
with the family. But his dreams were not cherished. Instead, they were met with
jealousy, ridicule, and disdain. Heart-breaking? Yes. There is nothing like
being told your dreams are worthless. Dreams
give us a reason for being.
But their hatred for Joseph wasn’t enough. They
threw him into a pit, then retrieved him from that pit and sold him into
slavery. Next stop was Egypt.
Being made to feel you don’t matter is a dream
thief. God cares deeply for his children
and their dreams.
Potiphar purchased Joseph and made him overseer of
his household. The Bible says that Joseph found grace in his sight. Unfortunately, not everyone in Potiphar’s house
was as loyal as Joseph. When Potiphar’s wife failed to entice Joseph, she lied.
Potiphar threw him in prison where he met and interpreted the butler and the
baker’s dreams, only to be forgotten and left to remain in his confinement.
The temptation, lie, and incarceration were dream
thieves. Add being forgotten and you have a good case for the mulligrubs!
Dwelling where we haven’t a choice can be a dream
thief. But Joseph didn’t take it to heart. He kept serving God, the Dream-giver while waiting
Two full years later, Pharaoh had a dream. The
absent-minded chief butler remembered his promise. Joseph was brought from
prison, interpreted the dream, and became Pharaoh’s right-hand man. He married,
gathered corn during the years of plenty, and had two sons whom he named
Manasseh (causing to forget) and Ephraim (fruitfulness or double fruit).
Joseph grew where he was planted. A little cliché, I
know. But it was exactly what Joseph did to guard the dream hidden within. And it worked!
Joseph remembered his dream when his brothers came
to Egypt looking for food and bowed before him over twenty years later. Neither
time nor circumstance robbed him of his dream.
God is also the Dream-sustainer.
He is well able to take care of our dreams if only we trust him.
The latest thief, for me, is a disease. There are
days when I struggle to complete a sentence, flip names and numbers, and forget
every rule of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Days I want to give up
writing—and do! Some days, I backspace more than I spacebar. But then, there
are days when everything falls into place, I forget my troubles as I bask in God’s mercy, and produce a harvest to feed others.
What dreams are you holding?
What dream thief are you facing in this season of
life?
Whatever it may be, don’t give up your dream!
Writing has always been Gail Johnson’s passion. Whether she’s writing songs or stories, her
goal is to encourage others. Currently, she is working on her dream to become a
published author.
Gail lives on a farm in South Georgia with her
husband, two children, three dogs, two horses, and plenty of wildlife.
To learn more and connect with Gail, please visit
her online sites:
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