have a little dedication to your dreams

When I was little, I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

Keep in mind Pittsburgh, I didn't live in Steel City at the time. I did gymnastics for years and could never nail my back handspring. My mom scraped up the cash to let me take some one on one gymnastics lessons for the sole reason of getting my back handspring down. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get it. So finally, I gave up.

After losing my hopes of being an NFL Cheerleader, I decided I wanted to be an actress. And not just any actress - I wanted to be TWO actresses. Mary-Kate AND Ashley Olsen. I remember having a shrine to them in my room. They were gorgeous and talented and traveled everywhere for their movies. And they always got the guy at the end. Who wouldn't want that? So I decided to give it a go.

My elementary school was putting on the play 'Cinderella'. The day the cast list went up, I could feel the adrenaline making my fingers tingle as I waited for the bell to ring. As soon as it i did, I along with every other 6th grade girl bolted down the hallway. Not only did I not get the lead, but I didn't even get a named role. I'm pretty sure I played a bush. (Or a tree. For the sake of this blog, we'll go with bush.) I sat outside the castle where Cinderella would dance with her prince, and held up a green, cloud-like shaped piece of butcher paper. I held my prop in front of my face and watched Cinderella and the Prince dance on stage. The sinking feeling of envy took over me and I felt warm all over. I didn't like this feeling. I'd rather give up on wanting the lead than than feel this way. Time for a new dream.

As an adult, it would be easy to look back on those dreams justify giving up based on how illogical they were. I mean, statistically, what are the odds of becoming a professional cheerleader or actress? Or a twin for that matter?

But when I was a Senior in High School, I got the lead in my High School's musical. I had been an extra ever since I played a bush in the 6th grade. And I got comfortable dancing in the background. So I gave up on thinking I had a chance at something big. I always auditioned because my Mom said I should, but I never anticipated getting anything great. So when I got the lead, you can imagine my disbelief. I thought it was a mistake. That is until the Director congratulated me later that day.

Next to the stage in my high school, there were stairs that lead down to a room with mirrors and lit vanities with the big light bulbs where we all did our make-up before shows. When you were a senior, you got to paint your own "block". They were just the cinder blocks on the walls, but it was something all of us had looked forward to since we got to high school. As the lead, I got to paint my block next to the previous musical leads that I looked up to: Amelia Degory and Kate Gongaware. And next to them, my name. I remember the smell of powdered make-up and heat from the fluorescent bulbs as I painted my block and decided what to write on it. There was only one thing I could think of.

"God Dreams Bigger."

Since I've gotten older, my dreams of course, have changed. I think it's okay for dreams to evolve. And not only do I think it's okay, but I think it's necessary. We get older and our eyes are opened to new things and new passions are awakened within us.

But there is a big difference friends, between evolving dreams and dying ones.

You and I both know the feeling. Thinking what you really want to do is illogical or unreasonable. It happens for some people, just not you. Settling for what seems realistic.

Where did we learn this?

I think Satan feeds us these lies to stop us from doing something big with our lives. Satan wants you to waste your life in a 9-5 job that pays the bills and enables vacations for you and your kids. He wants you to be comfortable with what you're doing and stay there. He doesn't want you to venture out and try new things. He doesn't want you to study abroad, get married young, or quit an unethical job. He wants you to be logical. Do things in order. Conventionally. Safely.

I have yet to witness a life where 'safe' and 'Kingdom of God' coexist.

Maybe your dream is to open a thrift store. Maybe you want to write music that touches the world. Maybe you want to do something completely different than what you studied in college.

Stop giving up so easily.

You are not alone. Dream and live in confidence that someone else already dreams bigger than your wildest.