Dreaming Courageously
[Guest Post by Kim Bangs – I have been friends with Kim now for a few years. We’ve both spoken at San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild in San Diego, CA and both have a passion to help shape young and new authors. Read below to learn more about dreaming courageously.]
I stopped my car on a steep incline so I could unload my “home away from home” belongings for the week.
On the second trip into the cabin, I reached to open the door to my room. It wouldn’t open. I tried exerting much more force at pushing the door open…nothing. Next I used all my muscle to turn the doorknob…still nothing.
I searched for a key…nothing.
I looked for something to use in the small hole of the knob. Nothing.
I dialed the phone number for the check-in desk. Someone would come right away. Pushing down rising frustration, I decided to move the rental car, only to find that I couldn’t release the emergency brake!
I pushed, pulled and am embarrassed to admit pounded on the release button. Again–now a common theme–nothing. Again, I picked up my phone and called the rental car office. (Yes, I was mortified…).
I explained my situation. The young man who answered the phone was as kind as could be. He said, “Ma’am (hate that!), gently pull up on the brake and then it should release.” I was sure I had tried that…but this time it worked. Perhaps the word “gently” had something to do with it.
Car parked and the maintenance man arrived! He started hunting around on the ground. I’m thinking what on earth….maybe he dropped the key. “No,” he said, “I’m looking for a stick.” A STICK!!!
Within 15 seconds the door to my room was open.
But wait there’s more!
After the harrowing arrival and opening class I went back to the cabin and to bed. About 5:30 in the morning I woke up and something told me, “Turn on the light.” What I saw made my skin crawl. Ants in the bed–thankfully, just under the pillow area and none I could find on me.
Cinderella sang, “A dream is a wish your heart makes when you’re fast asleep.”
Or in my case, it often happens when I’m wide-awake!
After our heart dreams we begin to pursue them with fervency and passion. Often, if not always, we come up against challenges.
Certain we know the dream and the direction to take to realize it, we can find ourselves locked out of reaching it. We push–hard and more than once, nothing. We try and muscle through–nothing. We call for help, expecting it to take FOREVER.
We find ourselves perplexed as we do everything we can to be cautious and safe in the pursuit of our dreams to only find when we are ready to move forward we are stuck.
All those little things that come up out of nowhere for seemingly no reason cause our dreams to itch with frustration. Once there, these small things are hard to get rid of–harder than big challenges.
If we are not committed to pursuing our dreams–and willing to let go of our timetable, we will give up–locked out, stuck, irritated and very, very unhappy.
Dreams are not for disappointment.
When we trust and expect help comes more quickly than we realize and often takes a simple yet profound form. Knowledge, kindness, common sense and wisdom for dealing with irritants are there for the receiving and implementing.
Walt Disney said, “Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly.”
Coupled with Disney’s proven wisdom we add the truth and destiny of a living, loving, powerful God. His dreams for us will be realized. He is more committed to those dreams than we are.
We need to push through and remember another of Disney’s pearls of wisdom, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
Dreaming courageously–all things are possible.
Kim Bangs is the Contracts/Author Relations Manager for Regal (the book division of Gospel Light) and also serves as a part of the acquisitions team. She can also be found at several writer’s conferences throughout the year doing all she can to inspire and encourage writers to write their passion and keep pressing on. She enjoys baking, gardening, Disneyland and sports…but loves Jesus and His Church.
[Photo credit: Tom.Bricker via photopin cc]
