Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Dream Valuation

How do you determine the value of a dream? What criteria should be used? Is it how much money you could make?  Is it the prestige or reputation you will gain?  Is it the number of lives you will touch?  Is it the depth of your passion?  

Truthfully, I'm not sure how much I thought about putting a value on dreams until my children started to express their own and others would offer feedback.  And now as my oldest daughter contemplates college and in what she will major, the concept of valuing a dream has come up numerous times. 

My daughter has a passion for kids.  She thinks that kids of all ages are the greatest.  She is also a gifted teacher.  Teaching is natural, instinctual for her.  Even the teachers she has interned with comment on her natural ability and her passion.  She sees the potential in each child and is willing to try numerous ways to explain concepts to them.  As a result, her dream for many years has been to become a teacher.  It is still one of her many dreams.  But there are those who do not place a high value on her dream.  "She could do so much more."  "She could earn more doing something else."  "She has such potential for better things."  "She could be so much more than 'just a teacher'."

(Now, I won't get on my soap box and lecture you about the need for passionate, gifted teachers or how teaching is minimized.  Suffice it to say, I think teaching is a wonderful profession and am thankful for the great teachers my children and I have encountered.  My purpose here is not to defend one profession, but to honor dreams.)

I think the statements given in response to an other's dreams often reflects the value assessed.  So, once a value is given, what are we to do with it?  Are there dreams that don't have enough 'value' to even be worth pursuing?  Should certain dreams be abandoned?  Should some dreams be modified until their value increases sufficiently? 

Ultimately, the question is, who gets to determine the value of our dreams?  Will we allow others that privilege?  Or will we determine the value for ourselves?  My hope is that my children will boldly follow their dreams regardless of other people's assessments.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

My Temper Tantrum

 I have been throwing a temper tantrum for the last few weeks.  Thankfully, it's been mostly in my mind and heart. (Because no one wants to see a middle aged woman throw herself on the floor to kick and scream...)  Now why, you may ask, was I having this tantrum?  For the usual reason; I was not getting my way.  Plans were not working out as I had imagined.  Things that I had done in the past were not reaping the same results as before.  People were not responding to me the way I was hoping they would.  Things just weren't going my way.  I was left feeling disappointed, confused, and angry.  So I began doing the mature thing; I went before God and began to complain and whine and stomp my feet.  Thankfully, He can handle my childish behavior and still love me.

When I finally stopped and asked Him for help and clarity, He showed me Isaiah 43:18-19a.  "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!"   The ways I had done things in the past were fine and had worked, but God is wanting to do things differently this time.  The problem is that I am comfortable and familiar with the 'old' ways.  I don't see any reason to change.  Yet, God sees the bigger picture and He cares about my growth and maturity. 

So I am learning to let go of the former way of doing things.  I wish I could say that it has been easy.  It hasn't.  New fears have emerged, my stubbornness has reached new heights, and I find myself grieving for the past when things seemed easier.  But I'm also learning to trust God in new ways and I look forward to seeing what He has planned.  So I've decided to stop the tantrum, resolved to forget the former ways and cling to God as He leads me in this new way.   I'll let you know how it goes....