The Beginning - Dreams

Like everyone, Kyla and I have always had dreams of what we would love to "one day" do. I'm not so much referring to things that would be nice (like visiting Rome), but rather the things that perpetually churn in our minds and beg our hearts to long for a day yet to come. Things that some days feel as though they might never happen. Things that some YEARS feel as though they might never happen...

From what I've seen, for many people, it doesn't. For a myriad of reasons many of us will never see our "one day" plans come to fruition. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Our desires, priorities, and abilities are continually changing. With wisdom comes the recognition that I can't (or shouldn't) always do what I want. We learn what it looks like to "lay down our life for our brothers" as one writer put it. Life throws us curve balls and we've gotta adjust, sometimes this means we change our plans.

At the same time, I recognize the tendency within myself (and others) to use any of the above reasons as an excuse to ignore or downplay dreams and plans. Now's not the time. The children couldn't adjust. I can't do it anymore. Money's too tight. What about my career? What will my family think? I'll look like a fool. On and on...

Over time we begin to confuse wisdom with laziness. Instead of earnestly trying to search out whether something is right, we convince ourselves it's not. It's easier and safer to mentally classify something as a fleeting fancy. In a surprising bit of irony, we find laziness to be a fierce competitor that knows how to win.

Our family is heading off in a direction that we've dreamed about for years. There's a great deal of unknowns. There's a high chance of failure and setbacks. But again, we're faced with this conundrum: do we convince ourselves it's not worth it and maintain the status quo? Or do we follow our hearts and whole-heartedly invest ourselves into determining whether this "one day" plan is what we've dreamed it to be?

Maybe things don't work out, but why should we find fault when someone gives 100% and creatively uses their abilities to the fullest? Why are we so apt to give a pass to those who half-heartedly drone through a safe and successful life? Surely it has something to do with our own tendencies to do (and want) the same.

I know, believe me, I know; it's safer to continue the steady 8-5 job. It's comforting to remain in the neighborhood you love, to stay with the church where everyone knows your name. None of these things are bad in and of themselves. And I don't want to imply a person is wrong for doing any of these. Yet, for me, there's a line from an old Switchfoot song that still rings in my mind...'we were meant to live for so much more'. As good as things are in our lives, I'm haunted by the thought of living a nice safe life.

I'm still young, but I've seen enough to realize that life isn't going to stop throwing those aforementioned curve balls. If I'm waiting for the perfect moment to step into the unknown, life will surely pass me by. Change requires sacrifice, not always equally, but assuredly. I hope and pray we will always be family who is willing to take chances.

So...here we go, into the unknown.

M