How Long are You Willing to Wait for Your Dreams to Come True?

Have you ever given up on a dream and then regretted it tremendously? Have you ever been up for a promotion at work and because they kept putting you off you just quit and started over some place else? Have you given up on a marriage you really wanted to work? Do you have a prodigal son or daughter that you feel will never return home? How long do we wait for the outcome we so desperately want? What do we do while we are waiting? How do we know if our dreams will ever really come true? Wow! I wish I had the answers to some of these questions. My life would have gone a lot differently if I had. What is that old saying… “better late than never”. I must agree. Wouldn’t you rather win the lottery at some point in your life than never win at all? Well, this isn’t about the lottery but I do have a testimony to share that I pray brings you some encouragement.

About 15 years ago when I was about six years into my walk with God I had a random minister prophecy television ministry over me. It is what most evangelists dream of. To be able to share the gospel with so many people at one time. It makes our stomachs flutter. When you have a heart to share the love of Christ and you have experienced that love over and over again in your own life you just want to scream it as loud as you can and what better way than over the waves of T.V.

After the first minister spoke this over me, another one came, then another one, then another...it was pretty ridiculous how many times this was prophesied through different people . My mom even called me out of the blue one day and shared a word God had spoken to her heart. But it all lined up because I had a message to share and I wanted to share it with as many people as I could. However, a year went by, then another and another and you get the point. Then one day God spoke “Coffee Talk” into my Spirit. I got really excited. I just knew my show was right around the corner. It wasn’t. More time passed by and I waited and I waited and I waited. I heard those words over and over again to the point I actually got sick of them.

I took matters into my own hands. I started a women’s bible study at my church and we named it Coffee Talk. I didn’t record for television but I felt like I was doing what God wanted me to. We had a handful of women come and our discussion was blessed but it quickly fell by the wayside and I was left feeling hopeless that my dream would ever come true. I had been invited to co-host on other talk shows and they were amazing but they were not my Coffee Talk. Still... I prayed.

Fast forward 15 years from the first prophecy and I am thrilled to say Coffee Talk will air in a few weeks. It is humble beginnings to say the least but the most amazing part is I didn’t put it together. God did. So what did I do? Here are a few things I did that I know God is blessing.

I received the prophecy. After the first minister declared that I had television in my future I prayed for confirmation.  Like Gideon, I was nervous. I liked what I heard but I needed more confirmation from the Lord that this was real. It came. I also looked for confirmation in His Word. If it doesn’t line up with the Word then it is not of God. After this I made a choice to receive it and believe it.
I began to prepare. I studied, I prayed and I sought ways to share the gospel while I was waiting. (This was continuous for the 15 year waiting period.)
I fasted. Really wishing I had done this sooner probably because it was just this year that I realized I hadn’t fasted for it and it was right after my fast that God put it all together. Still not sure if it would have happened sooner, (His timing is not ours) but nevertheless, if you haven’t fasted for what you’re seeking God for...don’t wait!
I let go and let God. I stopped trying to make it happen on my own. I trusted God’s timing and His plan for my life. I just did what I knew to do. Study, pray and seek opportunity.
I didn’t give up. Oh sure there were days when I said I was done...but in my heart I never gave up. I kept pressing forward and did what God told me to do. I would say years 7 -10 were probably the hardest. I felt like if it hadn’t happened by then it was never going to happen. But God kept sending me confirmation over and over again through the years. Confirmation through the scriptures and through His disciples.

Now that I am sitting here with our first taping behind me I am in sheer awe of how God works. I am combing through the last 15 years in my mind and seeing how all of the puzzle pieces have come together. And the fear of “what if” I had given up? What if I had quit? What if I didn’t listen to the voice of the Lord? But you know what I didn’t quit! I didn’t give up! I pressed forward and the prophecy is being fulfilled.

I share all of this to encourage you to keep pressing forward. Don’t give up! Don’t quit! Whether it’s that promotion at work, your marriage is in trouble, your kid’s backsliding, your health is deteriorating, your breakthrough hasn’t come yet… Do...Not....Quit! You don’t know how close you are.

We wish we could see how close we are. It would make it so much easier to keep pushing forward. To give it all we have when we feel like turning back. But remember God is strong when we are weak. He is always with us. He will never leave us. And most importantly He loves us and has a plan for our lives! And even more than us He wants to see His plan for our life come to pass.

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