Dream Again, Girls (Dress Rehearsal is Over!)

I revisited a post from 2007 called “Can’t a Girl Dream” and it made me smile. The image resonated in my heart and in my soul of women of all nations, colors and sizes, occupations and gifting, all wrapped up in a blanket of love…such an awesome dream. In fact, just yesterday, my eldest daughter drew a picture of 6 girls (all different colors) holding hands in a field of flowers and butterflies. It struck me, again, what an amazing dream this was and I was immediately inspired, I heard the soft whisper of the Holy Spirit… “Dream Again, Girls.”

Dream again. Every little girl, no matter her race, economic situation, experiences…has had a dream… It’s in our DNA to imagine. The dream may not be the same for each of us, but the capacity to dream is always there. As a child, I probably dreamed more than most, from day to day, week to week, I could be anything, from a princess to a doctor, to an Australian to a unicorn. But, the older I got the more concise the dreams became. I surmised that I was irreproachably gifted to write and this would be my gift to the world. Life became more real than the dream, and I thrust myself willfully into the depths of responsibility claiming to have never dreamt of such childish things. Still, within my heart lingered this desire to write. It was an inescapable part of me. So, I challenged myself at times, to balance, life and family with this innate passion. I struggled to differentiate between my will and God’s will, and where the dream itself fit in. If I didn't write I felt like I was neglecting the gift. Or if I did spend time to write, I felt like I was focusing too much on it and neglecting my immediate responsibilities. Strangely, I was most inspired to write when my life was the most chaotic. I would write about things relevant to my current situation and or things that God spoke to my spirit. I started “The Lady’s Rage” blog spot as an answer to God’s call and my willingness to be unveiled in a culture of pretend and make believe.

Still, my life was similar to a reoccurring dream that I had. In the dream, I was on stage doing a play I had already performed years ago; and I would never rehearse the lines until opening night. Frantically, I would search for the script, unsure if I still knew the lines. I would always feel this pressure of time. Like, man, maybe I don’t remember the lines. Maybe I should have prepared for this. And now, this is opening night and I have 45 minutes to remember this play. In reality, I was confronted with the same insecurities. Have I prepared enough for the real thing? Am I ready for the manifestation of God’s promises? Can handle being in the spotlight when I spent so much time in the shadows? Do I know what I am doing? Back in forth, I would go between complete surrender to God’s unveiling majesty and reticent reluctance to promotion. God said to me, a few weeks ago, “This has been the rehearsal. This time of waiting. This time of anticipation. This time of battle. It’s all been rehearsal.”

Many of us have been in stages of life that have been tumultuous, and difficult. We have received promises from God that have seemingly been unanswered. And while waiting for the manifestation of those promises, we have been met with every opposite reality of victory, joy and peace. Still, our hope remains. I can say with a certainty that I never, ever would have imagined THIS but I have gained such an appreciation for God’s word and for HIS presence in the midst of all of the difficulty, because at the end of the day I have found rest that cannot be taken from me. I have found peace that doesn’t exist because of things I have but rather because of whose I am. I have more today in terms of LIFE Abundant than I have ever had materially. And, I can say that all of the preparations of God through the various situations that have arisen have made me more than able to perform any task, at any time in any situation. I know my lines. I know what to say. I know my marker. I know my timing.

If you know anything about performing on stage, there are three things you must know. #1) Your lines. #2) Your mark. #3) Your timing. The rehearsal that we have been in has been about knowing the word, your righteousness through faith in God and the timing of God (prophetically).

The dream itself, the vision that God has given you is the means through which he is going to put you on stage… but ultimately, it is what you have rehearsed, that will have the most impact on those who are watching you. It is what you have done, in secret that will be on display. I encourage, you child of God, to dream again. Don’t let the passion die in you because of the trials of life. But rather, seek the Father, so that those dreams can live again. In His presence, there is fullness of joy. In His presence, there is everything that you need. Wisdom, joy, inspiration, strength, peace… you name it… wherever He is present, there is an abundance of everything that you need and want.

I pray that you will rediscover the dream that God has given you and that you will allow God to impact your life in such a way that it overflows to next generation. You are not without help, may God fill with his Holy Spirit and guide in His will.