3-28-21 God-sized Dreams

Quote: “God never gives you a dream that matches your budget.  He’s not checking your bank account.  He’s checking your faith.”

I have a story I’d love to share with you about an encounter I had one time on an airplane. I was on a plane headed to Detroit about 4 years ago.  There was a young boy that was talking to his mom about all the things he wanted to do in the future.

“I am going to start an orphanage.  And then once we get that one started, I’m going to start another one.  And at each one, we are going to have fun things for kids to do.  Basketball courts and pools and swing sets!  And we’re not going to stop building them until all the kids that don’t have parents have a place to live.”  The mom gently said to her son, “Honey, where are you going to get the money to build all these places?”  She didn’t want to dash his dreams but you could tell she wanted him to see the bigger picture.

“Mama, people are going to give us money.  Yep.  We are going to tell them how many kids need a place and then they are going to give us money to build the buildings.”  As he continued talking, he got more and more excited. He unbuckled his seatbelt and sat up on his knees.  He wasn’t yelling but his voice was definitely getting louder.  I became very aware that more than me was just listening to this young soul.  I noticed people from many different aisles were turning around, leaning forward in their seat, standing up – anything they could do to get a better look.

This little boy was my 9-year-old son Carter.  We were coming back from his first mission trip to Guatemala.  The passion in his heart was so big I thought it would explode.  He had so many ideas and such a heart for people he had literally just met.  He had seen things with his eyes that his mind could never forget.

But then the most amazing thing happened.

A woman seated behind him tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Son, I don’t know who you are but I just know you are going to do every one of those things you want to do.  And don’t let anyone stop you.  I believe you.  And I want to give you your first dollar toward your mission.  God bless you.”  Without skipping a beat, Carter took the money, told her thank you, and kept right on talking.  He still has that special dollar bill, a reminder to never stop pursuing the dream God has put on his heart.

There is a story in Matthew 18:2-4 where Jesus is talking to his disciples.  It says, “He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.'”  I believe Jesus was trying to remind the adults listening that kids are so innocent.  They haven’t been tainted by the world yet.  They are often oblivious to how much things cost, how life doesn’t always go as planned, how naive it is to think that people will just give you money, and that there a lot of forces in the world that get in the way of our dreams when adulthood hits.

If we believe like a child and humble ourselves and just go “all in” with the dreams and visions and plans God puts in our minds and hearts, without overthinking it, nothing should be able to stop us from achieving those goals.  Kids don’t overthink anything!

I believe God gives us such big dreams that they seem very unachievable.  He does this so we realize we can’t achieve them without his help.  We cannot reach for the stars without his gentle hand lifting us up to the moon.  We can do big things.  But we cannot do them without his input, his ideas, his strength, and his help.

If you have a God-sized dream, show him how serious you are.  Walk the walk and talk the talk.  Don’t look at the dollar sign.  Just focus on the dream, surround yourself with people who believe in your dream, and go for it.  Keep on pressing on.  Show him you are all in, be willing to do the hard work, and he will help you achieve those dreams!

Don’t let a price tag interfere with the calling on your life.  God’s bank account is limitless!