I tell Him my thoughts which quickly turn into dreams. I dream of becoming a teacher one day, getting married and starting a family, maybe even doing some photography and writing on the side. As the trail winds on and the skies become grayer my dreams get more detailed and immediate. I dream of backpacking through the mountains and camping under the stars. I dream of writing books and doing mission trips. I dream of watching the sun creep over the earth and its glorious rays hitting my face in places like Yellowstone, San Francisco, and the Outer Banks.
And God hears all of these just like He hears all of your dreams.
God is your father, that is why we call Him Abba, which means daddy. He wants to hear your dreams that will honor His Kingdom. No matter how big or how small. How ambitious or timid. He wants you to talk to Him, to have a relationship with Him. He wants to awaken dreams in your heart that you didn't even know existed. Don't believe in the lies of mediocracy. For God has called you to live a life of abundance and joy, and that starts with dreaming big.
But dreams only come alive with prayer. This is when we need to hit our knees and have a relationship with God that says, I am truly devoted to you and you only, here are my dreams, my troubles, my heart, and my soul, take them and use them to glorify your kingdom. God listens to your heart. The size of your prayers depends on the size of your God. If your God knows no limits neither will your dreams. The same God who gave you the vision is the same God who makes provision. Do not put your God in a box. God did not put those dreams in your heart just to crush them and make you feel small. God is so much mightier than that. He will always provide for you. Don't ever think something is too far out of reach, because that is just you putting a limit on God's endless power.
Do not be afraid. Jesus died for you to be free. Free from rejection, free from comparison, free from fear. Seek after your dreams with your whole heart. This might be why I like words so much. When I spend that one on one time with God journaling I feel free to be myself. I feel free from rejection and comparison. I love being able to live freely in reckless abandon for God. Words make me come alive. They capture the raw emotion, just like a picture. They capture the hurt and the anguish, or even freedom and joy. Writing and even this weird thing called blogging, draws me closer to Him and allows me to realize how near God really is.
As I near the end of the trail, and the smell of wet Earth hangs in the air, and the clouds grow grayer, I realize how much God aches to say the words, "Madison, let me dream with you."