“We always have visions, before a thing is made real. God gives us the vision, then he takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we have patience. Don’t lose heart in the process.” – Oswald Chambers

This is what I wrote one year ago for this post…

“I think it’s fair to say that 2016 kind of kicked my butt.

Between my surgery, continuing to wait for certain things I’m hoping for and the world craziness as a whole, last year left me feeling somewhat confused and depleted.”

There were times I didn’t know when the light at the end of the tunnel would come. I truly didn’t know the outcome of many unknowns in our lives at the time. I was taking one day at a time, sometimes one minute at a time, working on staying positive.

Sometimes I was successful and sometimes I wasn’t. But I never stopped believing that the answers were coming and things were going to be ok. That belief was hard to find sometimes, but a small sliver of it was always there.

It’s now one year later. We moved across the country, started a new business and, most exciting of all, had a beautiful, healthy baby boy.

One year ago I had no idea if he would ever actually be here with us.

I hoped and dreamed for it, but we had experienced setback after setback, and I was beaten down and tired.

But I still hung on to that small ray of hope that said “If this is your dream and you truly believe it in your heart, there is a reason for that. Don’t let go.”

Oh this was not easy. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

The doctors didn’t give us much hope. We had been trying to conceive for three years. I had tried every natural remedy under the sun and had gone through laparoscopic surgery.

I had reasons to doubt, and sometimes my hope was almost impossible to fine. I wondered if I should just move on. If I was being silly to still have hope. I thought maybe I should just accept it wasn’t meant to be.

Maybe you are experiencing something similar?

You are hoping and wanting for something in your life. You have tried goal setting, vision boarding, praying, letting go, practicing gratitude and journaling. Yet you still have times you feel sad. Tired. Confused.

I completely understand, as I’ve been there too.

There are times my heart aches for this world and I just don’t know what to do about it. It can honestly overwhelm me.

There are times my dreams seem like they are taking so long to come to pass that I start to doubt if they will happen.

It’s ok to sometimes question where you are and what you are doing. It’s ok to question yourself, or feel sorry for yourself, or be selfish. It’s ok to occasionally lose faith.

The key is NOT TO STAY THERE.

 

Promise yourself that you will hang on to your dreams.

It can sometimes be easier to let them go. I know from experience that there can be pain and questioning when we have a deep vision and dream in our souls that doesn’t seem to be coming to pass.

It’s hard work to be a dream believer.

And we need more of them.

It won’t be easy. It might mean stretching yourself, stepping out of your comfort zone and questioning things you’ve done out of habit.

For me it’s been a lesson in patience and letting go of control and being ok with the outcome, no matter what it is.

I’m still learning and re-learning every day. And I now have two little ones who remind me every day of the importance of believing and hoping for what we want.

You might be out of the tunnel or you might be smack dab in the middle of it. It’s ok to question and doubt and cry out.

Just don’t let anyone take away your sliver of belief. That voice that says “Be patient. It’s coming. And it will be better than you ever imagined.”

When you look forward to 2018 and what you want to accomplish, do it with love and grace. If things become hard – especially if they are hard – say “thank you” for lessons learned and that you are still here.

Remember that sadness can intermingle with gratitude, and it’s ok to cry a little if need be when saying your thank you’s.

Then wipe away the tears, stand up and take the next step.

While it sometimes feels like we aren’t moving towards our dreams, that is wrong.

Whether we feel it or not, see it or not, things are happening all around us every second that are propelling us forwards. If a dream is in your heart, it is meant to be there. Believe that.

Here’s to all of us dream catchers. Don’t stop believing. If you won’t, I won’t.