Charlea Grey
The people who love God should know that everything that happens to them is good for them. God makes it happen that way because long ago He decided to choose them to belong to Him. Romans 8:28, English Bible for the Deaf
God has a plan for each of our lives, but more than that, I believe God has a dream for each of us. Most parents have a dream for their children. And I’m not talking about the dream that your child will become a doctor, an engineer or perform on stage. I’m talking about the dream that your child will find happiness, experience peace, have confidence and face life equipped with what they need.
Isn’t it the same with our Heavenly Father?
I believe God has a dream for each of us. He wants us to flourish, experience the beauty of life on Earth, find joy and live fully. I believe his dream is that we will dream about the things we want to do and achieve – and that we’ll chase after those dreams with him guiding and supporting us all the way, just like a parent wants to support their child.
God’s dream for each of us is beautiful, despite the difficulties and hardships life sometimes throws at us.
Isn’t it wonderful to know our Father dreams along with us and wants the best for us?
His dream for us also includes lifting his name, doing his will and living rightly. But isn’t it precisely those things that help lead us to happiness, peace and confidence?
God’s dreams for us are beautiful – we can hold onto that knowledge every day and live with that hope and expectation.
Prayer: Father, thank you for having a beautiful dream for my life. Thank you for wanting to help me make that dream come true. Amen.
Charlea Grey
Ons weet dat wanneer mense lief is vir God, dan is alles wat met hulle gebeur, goed vir hulle. God laat dit so gebeur, want Hy het lank gelede besluit om hulle te kies om aan Hom te behoort. Romeine 8:28, Bybel vir almal
God het 'n plan met elkeen van ons se lewe – maar meer as dit, glo ek God het 'n droom vir ons elkeen. Meeste ouers het 'n droom vir sy of haar kind. En ek praat nou nie van die droom dat jou kind dalk 'n dokter of ingenieur gaan word of hulself op die verhoog gaan uitleef nie. Ek praat van die droom dat jou kind geluk gaan vind, vrede sal beleef, selfvertroue sal hê en die lewe sal kan aanpak met dit wat hulle nodig het.
Is dit dan nie maar dieselfde met ons Hemelse Vader nie?
Ek glo Hy het 'n droom vir ons elkeen. Hy wil hê ons moet floreer, die mooi van die lewe op Aarde beleef, vreugde vind en voluit kan leef. Ek glo sy droom vir ons elkeen is dat ons kan droom oor die dinge wat ons wil doen en bereik en dat ons dit sal najaag met Hom wat ons steeds lei en bystaan – net soos wat 'n ouer hul kind ook wil bystaan.
God se droom vir ons elkeen is mooi, ten spyte van die moeilikheid en teëspoed wat die lewe soms kan opdis.
Is dit nie wonderlik om te weet ons Vader droom saam met ons nie? Dat Hy die beste vir ons wil hê.
Ja, sy droom vir ons is ook om sy Naam hoog te hou, sy wil te doen en reg te lewe. Maar is dit nie juis omdat dié dinge, ons kan help om by geluk, vrede en selfvertroue uit te kom nie?
God se drome vir ons is mooi – ons kan elke dag daaraan vashou en met daai verwagting leef.
Gebed: Vader, dankie dat U ook 'n mooi droom vir my lewe het. Dankie dat U my ook wil help om daardie droom waar te maak. Amen.
Charlea Grey
People who are sad now are happy people, because God will take away their tears and they will not cry anymore. Matthew 5:4, English Bible for the Deaf
We all have dreams. Some of us have big dreams, others have simple dreams or dreams that other people will never understand.
Sometimes, my husband and I dream about winning the national lottery – then we list everything we’d do with the millions of rands. It can be a very fun game, as long as you remember that it is a game.
On a more serious note, each of us carries a dream in our heart. Maybe the dream you had when you were younger has already come true. Perhaps it’s still a work in progress. Maybe you gave up a long time ago.
Unfortunately, not all dreams come true. We can’t all play for the Springboks; we can’t all be the big boss at work. We can’t all become famous. I made peace long ago with the fact that my dream of millions in the bank probably won’t come true. But I have been privileged enough to see some dreams come true – to visit a place or two I longed to see, to have a family of my own.
This past year, I also watched my mom see one of her dreams come true. Shortly after retiring as a teacher, her debut poetry collection was published. It took patience, hard work and perseverance. But there it was – her writing in black and white, in her hands and the hands of many others. It inspired and motivated me all over again.
Yes, sometimes there are dreams in life that don’t come true. It happens to all of us, unfortunately; it’s part of life. But many of the dreams that live in our hearts can be fulfilled.
When last did you speak to God about the dreams in your heart? Ask him to take your hand and help you. And if you are heartbroken over a dream that has been shattered, find your comfort in the Lord. He will wrap you in his love and maybe a new dream will grow in your heart.
Prayer: Lord, thank you that dreams are part of this wonderful life. Help me to keep dreaming about my future, but also help me to find peace when I am disappointed. Amen.
Charlea Grey
Mense wat nou hartseer is, is gelukkige mense, want God sal hulle hartseer wegneem. Matteus 5:4, Bybel vir almal
Ons almal het drome. Party van ons het groot drome, ander het doodeenvoudige drome of drome wat ander mense nooit sal kan verstaan nie.
Soms droom ek en my man dat ons die nasionale lotery wen – dan noem ons al die dinge op wat ons met die miljoene rande sal doen. Dit kan 'n baie lekker speletjie wees, mits jy onthou dat dit 'n speletjie is.
Maar op 'n ernstige noot – ons elkeen het 'n droom in ons hart. Dalk het die droom wat jy gehad het toe jy jonger was, reeds waar geword. Dalk is dit nog "work in progress". Dalk het jy lankal moed opgegee.
Ongelukkig is dit so dat nie alle drome waar word nie. Ons kan nie almal vir die Springbokke uitdraf nie, ons kan nie almal die grootbaas by die werk wees nie. Ons kan nie almal beroemd raak nie. Ek het lankal vrede gemaak dat my droom oor miljoene in die bank, heel waarskynlik nie gaan waar word nie. Maar ek was bevoorreg genoeg om reeds sekere drome te bewaarheid – 'n plek of twee te sien wat ek graag wou, 'n gesin van my eie te hê.
Ek het die afgelope jaar ook beleef hoe my ma een van haar eie drome bewaarheid. Kort na haar aftrede as onderwyser, is haar debuutdigbundel gepubliseer. Dit het geduld, harde werk en deursettingsvermoë geverg. Maar daar is dit toe – haar pennevrug swart op wit, in haar en baie ander mense se hand. Dit het my opnuut geïnspireer en gemotiveer.
Ja, soms is daar drome in die lewe wat nie waar word nie. Dit gebeur met ons almal en dit is ongelukkig ook deel van die lewe. Maar baie van die drome wat in ons harte leef, kán bewaarheid word.
Wanneer laas het jy met God gepraat oor die drome in jou hart? Vra vir Hom om jou hand te vat en jou te help. En as jy hartseer is oor 'n droom wat aan skerwe lê, vind jou troos by die Here. Hy sal jou toevou in sy liefde, en dalk, wie weet, vind jy 'n nuwe droom in jou hart.
Gebed: Here, dankie dat drome ook deel is van hierdie wonderlike lewe. Help my om aan te hou droom oor my toekoms, maar help my ook om vrede te maak as ek teleurgesteld is. Amen.