dreams

Yesterday I took my nephew Kasen to see Turbo, a movie about a snail who dreams of being fast.

Kasen said his favorite parts of the movie were when the lawnmower and the kid on the tricycle were trying to run over the snails and the snails had to "tuck and roll." He is very much a boy. :)

My favorite parts were the moments when they talked about not giving up on your dreams. Turbo kept telling his brother (a fat, cautious snail who was unable to tuck, let alone roll) that giving up on his dream was impossible because "it's in me." The snail brothers meet up with two human brothers who had a dream of owning a successful taco stand together. One is a dreamer, like Turbo, and the other a "realist", like Turbo's brother.

There are other dreamers in the movie. A female mechanic. A man who owns a hobby store. Indy 500 drivers. Some with forgotten or failed dreams. Others who've never let themselves dream.

I don't think I've ever been much of a dreamer. In second grade when I had to write about what I wanted to "be" when I grew up I said I wanted to live in an apartment and teach. Not very creative. When my friends in elementary school said they dreamed of their wedding day and being mothers, I said I assumed these things would happen to me but had never actually thought about whether or not they were what I wanted. As high school graduation approached and "everyone" knew what they wanted to do and where they wanted to go -- a Christian college, into the workforce, community college, the army, a good liberal arts school or aeronautical university -- I let scholarships decide my next move. I was equally ambivalent about my college major, my first job, the country or the city, dogs or cats, tofu or steak.

But in the last couple of months I've been starting to dream. Or at least I've wanted to start dreaming. And I don't want them to be ordinary dreams. I want them to be God-sized dreams. Limitless dreams. BIG dreams. The Great American Novel BIG. National speaking tour BIG. Finding the love of my life at 55 BIG. Adopting a herd of teenagers BIG. Showing everyone I meet the love of Jesus BIG. Sailing around the world BIG. Living out of a backpack BIG. Running mountains BIG. Writing and preaching and teaching and singing and traveling and climbing and never getting tired BIG.

I think God has dreams for all of us, far beyond anything we could ever imagine. I want to tap into all of that. Why not? You only live once. 

EMBRACE DREAMS.

Whether you want to be fast or live long. Own a food court restaurant or be a wedding planner. Write a novel in a month or be the first American Ninja Warrior. Fly a plane or be a farmer. Inspire others to read the Bible or teach kids to read. Be a professional athlete or a princess. Never stop dreaming. Or working towards your dreams. Because greatness is in you.  


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