I was chatting with a new friend over the weekend and asked them what their next five years looked like. The question made him pause for some time and proved to be a little difficult for him to answer. As a result of our discussion, I recommended that he make a list of 101 things he wants to do, see and experience in his lifetime to help give him some clarity on what he wants.
Making this list is imagining what life can become in our lifetime and is unique to us and about our heart's desires, calling, and purpose in life.
It's a bit like a child making a list of what they want and can dream of for Christmas or their birthday before they ever consider finances, practicalities, or have suffered disappointments or limitations. What would and could we dream and dare ask for?
Most of our children were and still are not too concerned about how my husband and I will afford or attain the gifts on their birthday and Christmas lists – they dream and ask for what they'd like and we encourage them to do that because we want them to know God is like that and they can come and ask Him for what in their hearts.
He is like the best Dad imaginable and loves for us to dream, pray, ask and imagine what our life could look like, and He never thinks our dreams or requests are too big or insignificant for Him to take notice of.
He asks us to focus on the things we can learn about, places to travel to, people we'd like to meet, and things we'd like to achieve in our lifetime. He encourages us to purposely let our imaginations run wild when we make our lists and as we do that it's important not to get stuck wondering how any of it will happen. (This is the dreaming stage and plans and strategies come later.)
God had Abraham (who was childless at the time) look up at the stars and imagine His descendants as innumerable as the stars in the sky before He even had one son. He taught Isaac to mark and place poles all around the watering hole for his flocks so that he could imagine more easily his speckled and spotted flocks increasing each season. (Gen 15:5; 30:37-31:16) That's because there is real power in taking the time to see beyond where we are and to look up and into the future to where we'd like to be.
The bible says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4), Which means our job is to imagine, pray, ask, believe and dream. It's then God's job and promise to guide and lead us and to "do exceedingly more than we can ask, think, dream and imagine according to his power that is at work in us" (Ephesians 3:20)
You become and attract what you think about most, so I encourage you to take some time to dream today. What can you imagine?
Make your list of 101 things and let yourself dream impossible, big, fantastic thoughts about your life, future, God's plan, and purposes for the next stage of your journey.
I encourage you to take the time to get a clear picture of what that life looks like. Because thinking about where you want to be in the future helps you decide how you will live today.
Albert Einstein said," Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions."
"For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good." (Psalm 107:9)
"No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11)
Prayer: Lord, thank you that you desire good things for me. Would you please help me dream big today and start to focus and plan how I want to live that life today. In Jesus Name Amen
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