Tag: dreams

A Cold and No Internet

Ever since my kids were children it was a dream that they and my husband would worship God together with music. I am not as talented as the three of them, so I planned to be in the audience.

Several months ago the little ministry that we volunteer with decided to host a prayer and praise night this coming Saturday. They needed a worship team, so I asked my son if he would be interested in leading one. He said sure, so I helped him gather the team, which included his dad.

This past Monday the singer was out sick for the rehearsal. It was a bummer, but not the end of the world, since my son has a good voice. He had wanted a singer in the group because he wasn’t confident singing on his own.

He hasn’t sung much since his voice changed years ago. But he had started getting more confident during the previous rehearsal when the vocalist had asked that she not have to sing alone.

My daughter is on spring break this week, but she needed to be at her apartment on campus on Monday so that she could finish up an assignment. Our house was out of power, and therefore internet, on Monday due to some scheduled, much needed repair work. She was able to complete her assignment so wanted us to pick her up and bring her home Monday evening.

The worship team was rehearsing at a church on the edge of my daughter’s college campus, so she said that she would just meet us there. She then, graciously agreed to fill in for the ill bandmate.

I had to hold back tears as the dream I had almost two decades before filled the sanctuary.

The team vocalist is feeling well again and is thrilled that our daughter has agreed to sing with her and the team this coming Saturday.

All of our hopes and dreams are gone

 (My child has Autism Specrum Disorder? Devotional #2)

Romans 8:28  God works all things together for the good of those that trust in Him.

I had to let go of the dream of getting to know all of the neighborhood moms while watching my son play ball with theirs. I had to let go of the dream of having a house filled with the friends that my son had invited over. Gone were the dreams of making new yummy treats that he would be excited to try, or checking out new restaurants as a family.

The dream of a wedding to attend, grandchildren, even just a house to visit him at faded. Gone was the certainty that someday my husband and I would have an empty nest to enjoy. The reality that my life may never change much from what it is right now, was very depressing, to say the least.

You don’t realize how many hopes and dreams you have for yourself and your children, until you are forced to let them go. You don’t realize how much of your own joy you have tied up in what you think your children will become.

The only dream I had left was the promise that God works all things out for the good of those who trust in him. He reminded me of all of the people who lived fulfilled, but very different lives, such as Mother Theresa, Amy Carmichael, and numerous other heroes of the faith. They may not have had the home in the suburbs, the 2 kids and the 7 grandkids, but they were more fulfilled than most. I just had to adjust my view from the America Dream, to God’s dream for us.

Though it was still hard to hear about how well everyone else’s son was doing in T-ball, while mine cried because he hated it so much, I actually began to feel a bit honored that God would entrust our family with the challenge of living counter-culturally in such an obvious way.

I pray that you would be able to get a glimpse of the good that God has for you in the midst of this very difficult situation. And if you can’t see any good right now, remember that God does not break His promises, so keep holding on. He will work things for good, because He promised He would.