Daring Dreams
Dare to dream sounds cliche until you do it. I mean dream in the sense of having deep desires and high hopes. Those valuable aspirations that have been rolling around in our minds, possibly for years.
These kinds of dreams are daring because they require us to take action. A dream is much more than whatever we attach to it. Even though a dream job or dream home can both be aspects of our dreams, they’re so much more than nice things. They’re holistic in nature. They involve works that some would say you were created to walk into. Works that have been waiting for you. Works that bring you deep fulfillment and leave you feeling energized.
Dreams that Echo
There have been mountain moving speeches about having a dream, but without action, will ours echo throughout eternity? We’re either driven by our dreams or led to do them, depending on our beliefs.
Difficult Dreams
“J_ _ _ do it” is a slogan we’ve probably heard before, but is it time to take that first step toward our dream? We aren’t always sure.
Go Time–Daring to Dream
Dreams are difficult in this sense. But I think My dad was right when he said life is a balancing act. Adults juggle many responsibilities at any given time and we’re measured by how well they’re kept. However, time is fleeting. “Go-time” is the first step towards fulfilling our dreams, for those daring enough to act. The challenge is figuring out when to take action.
Daring to Dream Takes Time
Some dreams involve lengthy transitions. They take time. A lot of time. Whether you’re taking many steps in preparation for changing seasons or reacting to what life throws at you, we all tend to prize and protect what we view as priceless to us.
Walking a Tightrope of Tension Between
Have you ever carried the tension of wanting to realize a dream you couldn’t see, but the inherent risk of reaching for it shook you to your core? Desiring to see it materialize, you trust that everything will work out.
Dream Chasers
I was carrying a loaded carbine rifle that I had slung over my shoulder as I carefully walked to the firing range with the other correctional cadets at the academy. No more practice rounds, just us and our targets as we nervously waited in silence.
To Protect and Serve
To protect and serve in law enforcement was my dream ever since I was a little boy chasing bad guys on my ottoman motorcycle complete with pillow handlebars. So much so that I have that phrase tattooed on my right thigh. What can I say, I was a big fan of CHiPs on TV. The desire was much bigger than a job and I sensed that during this season of life, God was showing me that he was my protector and having me face my fear of man head on.
At the firing range, I was facing one of my last pass/fail tests en route to earn a badge and toeing the line as a sworn correctional officer for the State of California.
Facing Frustrations–Feeling Intimidated
My heart was racing as I tried to balance the rifle while remembering the tactics taught by the skilled range masters. I remembered feeling intimidated by the hunting stories of my fellow cadets who grew up with rifles in hand. My childhood firepower had been limited to a BB gun in my backyard.
But I couldn’t see my dream. All I felt was frustration before firing my first round. Squinting at my target, I was fearing failure once again but trusting God because I had left my eyeglasses at home, 7 hours away, the very day I needed them most.
I was kicking myself thinking about all the time invested going through this long hiring process to even be selected for the academy. The death of my dream was upon me. Passing the paper tests, physiological tests, and physical tests. This was one of the last tests. And I couldn’t focus! But, it was “go-time” and with rifle in hand, there was literally no turning around … no turning back. Silence ensued until the first shot rung out causing a cacophony of ejected bullet casings to fall all around us as we fired.
The hunters and men who had mastered breathing techniques to increase their shooting accuracy all shot lower than our company’s second highest score that surprisingly belonged to me. God had a bigger plan than my dream as I would learn through reflecting on my 16 weeks as a correctional officer cadet.
Thanks for reading!
Wayne
