This morning my husband Rob said something that sounded just enough like a line from the Kenny Rogers song "Lucille" that it got stuck in my head, so that's the inspiration for today's post. Except that it's actually more of a dis-inspiration, because I looked up the lyrics and found that they're rather depressing. The situation being described is full of problems, but the line that got in my head was that the girl decides to "quit living on dreams." Is living on dreams a bad thing?
One of the positive outcomes of the past several weeks of improved mood for me has been that I am finally able to have dreams again. I suppose there are people who don't need dreams, but I enjoy imagining possibilities and dreaming about the impossible. I had missed being able to do that. The idea that I would need to "quit living on dreams" is a depressing thought.
Maybe the word "dream" sounds too outlandish, but don't most people have some sort of aspirations or goals? I don't like the word "goal" so much. I can fail to reach a goal and feel bad about myself, but if I fail to reach a dream, that's not so bad. Maybe it wasn't meant to be, or maybe it just hasn't happened yet. Besides, sometimes I can be waiting on God to make it happen (Isaiah 60:22).
I guess I shouldn't be so hard on Lucille. In the midst of a tragedy (for her it's the end of a marriage) it can feel like it's impossible to have any hopes or dreams. Maybe it even helps to let them all go. In time, there will be new ones, different ones, to replace the ones that have died.
God promises restoration. In Joel 2:25, God says, "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten." In the midst of hard times, I have found renewed hope in these words.
It hasn't always helped me as much as I'd like, but today I'm thankful to be able to remember that God is always up to something.
Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness. Isaiah 43:19
We humans are not very good at seeing the future, although there are some futurists who do a pretty good job. Ultimately only God knows the future. So I'm going to keep on dreaming.
That verse in Isaiah has been important to me over the last year. It’s a great one!
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