I have a daughter who is eight years old. We live in a small town where activitites are often limited for young and old. Recently, two local ladies decided to create a gymnastics program for kids from preschool age up to sixth grade. They meet once a week and offer two classes at present. A few months ago, another lady in our county had a vision to start a local chapter of the group, American Heritage Girls. It is a faith-based scouting program. My daughter is involved in both.
As I was looking through my photos of her recent activities and reflect upon just the last couple of days, I am so thankful. I am thankful for the people in our town and our small communities that had a desire to do something, even something different for the first time. Some had a desire for their child(ren) and that single desire gave birth to an idea that, in turn, has blessed dozens of other families. Rather than focus only on the need of their household they allowed a vision to form which, in turn, has led to something great and positive for our county.
I am also thankful for the church bodies that are also obedient to the vision of how they can positively impact their local communities. Although we cannot always attend every event offered by every church, each vision that is brought to reality has it's measure of ifluence upon those who do attend. May we always support one another. It doesn't take much to share a post about something going on, even if we, ourselves, cannot attend.
School will soon be out and VBS (vacation bible school) season will soon begin. Thank you in advance to all the churches, volunteers and visionaries for the task you are getting ready to undertake. It has eternal value.
I would also like to encourage those of you that have a dream or vision of something you would like to see done or be a part of. The dream may be big and the task seem daunting, but I can guarantee you that the people that have already put their vision into action did so with uncertainty, lack of experience, lack of provisions and lack of people needed for the task. However, what they did not lack was that desire on the inside that kept urging them on, despite what they could not see.
The vision you have may have risks involved, but if your vision is from the Lord, then can it really fail? Yes, I believe it can, but only when we mistakenly try to do God's part, rather than simply being obedient to the parts He has called us to. The reults of a God-given vision are not ours to manipulate. Whether we have one or one-thousand, based on what we see with our often limited sight, the outcome remains in the hands of God.
We are less likely to suffer burnout or discouragement if we keep our focus on what He has called us to do. Don't be ruled by what you see or are told by others. The great thing about being led by God is that we get to be part of something that is often, otherwise, impossible or improbable. How cool is that?
What if I mistake the vision and fail? If you do, then dust yourself off, pray about it, re-evaluate and regroup according to what you learned. Try, try again.
What if I make mistakes? Mistakes can be embarrassing, so I would recommend a sense of humor and the ability to laugh at yourself. People willing to laugh at you are never in short supply, so always try to be the first one to laugh at yourself. Also, always be willing to be honest and take responsibility for any mistakes made.
What if I succeed? Congratulations! It may be at that moment that you can close your eyes, let out a sigh of relief and simply relish in what God just did through you.
Dreams and vision are awesome and it is easy to get lost in simply imagining. Pursing them is your next step. Let go of your fear and doubt, take a step of faith and see what good things can happen.
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