A Dream Fulfilled (But Not Like I Expected)

Maybe it's just me, but when a dream dies, I tend to assume it's just dead. I have a bad habit of thinking things can only work one way, getting fixated on that thing, and then, if it doesn't work out, thinking it won't happen at all. Can anyone relate? Let me give you an example.

My brother was on an amazing baseball team as a teenager. The way the kids supported one another and the coaches poured into them was incredible. That experience, combined with learning about Bob Ladouceur and his football teams, grew a dream in me to pour into the next generation of young men through sports, baseball in particular, at a younger level. I wanted to start a program for elementary and middle school boys to have an experience like my brother had in high school. I'm not sure if it was not the right time or if it wasn't meant to be at all but that didn't pan out and I was left feeling really confused.

See, I thought that this dream was from God. Why wasn't He making things work out? It was a good desire, and I wanted to use this to encourage these boys in their faith. Every avenue I thought of to do this was closed to me and I just thought that this was a dead dream. Then...

Last year, my church started a Bible quizzing team. There were three boys from my church and girl from another church. This year, it's just the three boys from my church and it was just a few weeks ago when I realized, "I'm living my dream". It took my by surprise and I didn't realize what I had right away because it doesn't look anything like what I'd imagined.

I thought it would be sports, namely baseball, and while this is a competition in a way, it's nothing like sports.

I thought I'd be working with dozens of boys and adult men to coach them, but it's just me and the three boys. (They are in elementary middle school though!)

I thought we'd be using sports to teach life lessons and incorporate faith into it but this is diving into the Word first and foremost!

I'm not saying this is the answer to the dream, but I do recognize it now as being an answer to something I thought was no longer an option in my life. And I'm grateful. So if you are staring at a pile of dead dreams, I'd encourage you to open yourself up to the possibility that maybe you are living a dream that looks different than you thought. If that isn't your reality now, then let me encourage you to not let what you think the dream should look hinder you from seeing the dream come to life.

If you've had an experience like this, a dream coming to life in an unexpected way, please share and encourage all of us! We'd love to celebrate and rejoice with you!