Welcome to part four in a five-part series on Chasing your dreams. If you missed them, you can read part 1 here, part 2 here, or part 3, here.

 
I’ve been playing catch-up with some of my favorite magazine reading.  Although I can love me some People Magazine, what I really eat up are my Life Beautiful and Homelife magazines.  I was just finally getting around to the July issue of Homelife (I’m so very up with the times, aren’t I?) and I turned the page to discover an article entitled, wait for it… “Chasing a Dream” by Pete Wilson.  This little article packed one convicting punch.  My favorite quote from it, although there were so many wonderful nuggets to chew on, is the following:
 

“It means our confidence is no longer in our ability to achieve each one of our dreams, but in the strength and power of the God we claim to follow.” – Pete Wilson

 
I do believe that a verse I had chosen to focus on, back when I was considering chasing this dream in the first place, had slipped right outta my mind.  And I’ve had blurry vision ever since.  Are you still with me?  Let me share the verse with you, and then it might become more clear:
 

And I lost sight of that. I don’t know about you, but I do believe I was struck with a case of the good old fashioned “I Wants”.  I began to want what I wanted more than I wanted to keep my joy over the small beginnings.  And it was not good.  My stinkin’ thinkin’ began to spiral right out of control, with the possibilities for future growth.  My eyes glazed over with excitement at the prospect of a fame that could only come at some increasingly obvious valuable cost.  It was time with my family, for me.  What might it be for you?

You see, that’s the irony here. In my case, anyway.  Dreams almost always start out small.  And if God has blessed it, He is pleased – no – He rejoices to see the work begin!  That amazes me.  He loved the smallest among us and sent His son to encourage us to come to Him like a little child.  He loves the least, or smallest in significance, among us and commanded us to care for the widow and the orphan.  He clearly loves small things.  And, if we will allow Him to use us for His glory, He  tells us that He will honor those small beginnings and esteem them and bless them.

I do believe that God was confirming this message, yet again, for me through this article. And, this message has been popping up in so many different ways and on so many different occasions lately, that it’s a wonder that God didn’t just whack me upside the head with a 2×4 and get it over with!

Please, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that we shouldn’t hanker for progress and growth.  As long as we’re keeping a few important things in mind, I believe God lets us loose to chase those dreams with abandon.  For Him!