Learning to Dream – Caitlin Steves

The first eighteen years of my life were entirely planned out.  Born and raised in the same town, I went to the same schools with the same people, and I didn’t experience much change.  College was highly encouraged, so I chose to spend the next four years at the greatest university in the nation (Boomer Sooner).  Upon graduation I committed to spend my first year out of college at Sky Ranch in the Legacy Fellowship.  Just like that, there goes twenty-three years, completely booked.

Six months from now my year spent at Sky Ranch in the Legacy Fellowship will come to an end.  It feels strange. It feels strange that I am twenty-three years old, and for one of the first times in my life, my next season is a blank slate.  I am quickly starting to drive into unknown territory.

I recently had lunch with an empowering leader who I greatly respect.  After explaining my situation, she encouraged me to view this daunting blank slate as an opportunity; an opportunity to dream with the Father about what He has in store for me next.  To dream! Wow.

Doesn’t dreaming sound exciting and exhilarating?!  We are a people who do not dream enough in this world.  We fear to dream about big things, and to even dream about little things.  We are confined to the expectations people have of us, as well as the expectations we place on ourselves.  We limit our dreams by seeking a certain salary, location, job title… the list goes on and on.  For me, I know I limit my dreams most by allowing fears and insecurities to get in the way.

But now, even in the unknown territory, I will choose to sit with the Lord and dream with Him.  I will look at my passions and strengths and ask God to paint those on my blank slate.  I can do this because the Lord’s promises are written all over scripture.  God, our Creator, is always at work in revealing His story of our lives to us.  We simply have to listen.

Psalm 63: 7-8  says, “For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy.  My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.”  Our Father wants to walk with us through the unknown.  He wants our soul to cling to Him.

So today, by the Lord’s grace, I choose to be content in the unknown and  I choose to dream.