I was left wondering--what are your dreams?

With all of the recent talk of dreaming big, thanks to the carefully selected New Student Orientation theme, I was asked today, What are your dreams, Lindsey? Dreams. Where do I start?

Once upon a time, I had a set of dreams all my own, dreams I thought I wanted with every fiber of my being. I had dreams to move to a big city, make lots of money, work as a successful engineer...I gripped these dreams so tightly that I had eyes and ears for nothing else in the world. I wrestled with these dreams because there seemed to be roadblocks put up every step of the way. My life began to fall apart around me, but I continued to pursue the narrow dreams that my head had concocted, blind to the trouble that I was creating.

It wasn't until the moment that I completely let go of all these dreams that I thought were best for me that I realized what true dreaming was. You see, it's when you let go of your own life, the plans, achievements, goals, and yes, even dreams that you desire for yourself, that God's will and purpose for your life can truly begin to take shape within you. It was the moment my fists released from their white-knuckled grip that my life began to move away from me and toward God's glorious plan. We have to do this, this letting go, this dying to self - it's the only way to get closer to God. Galatians 2:20 is one of several references that the Bible gives us into this idea.

But then, what did my dreams become? After letting go, my heart was free to accept the dreams that God has had for me since the very beginning of time. And what are those dreams, you're still wondering? My dreams became so much more than I ever could have imagined for myself.

I now dream of changing the world. Crazy, right? Not crazy with God. I dream of fulfilling my purpose for His glory and honor, my purpose to build relationships and open doors with people, especially younger people, to infuse passion and love and care into their lives... And how will I achieve my dreams? I'm not sure. How will I know that I've "arrived" at my dreams? I surely don't know. And what am I doing to work toward my dreams now? Mainly living in God's love, letting go of my own dreams daily, and following where I am led. To some, this may seem ridiculous. There's no master plan involved on my part, no planning at all, really. But to me, it's become natural.

I've been hardwired to dream big dreams of changing the world, changing lives, guiding people to that same moment of letting go that I found once upon a time. It's my dream to do this as long as I can with as much passion as I can. I know that God will change the world through my life, and that is the direction in which I aim my heart, knowing that if God is with me, no one can be against me.

Now that you know mine, tell me, what are your dreams?