I’ve been hearing a term tossed around lately that I want to talk about. It’s this: “Manifesting your dreams.” I hang in a lot of creative circles for writers and artists and this is where I’ve heard it most. I wonder if it’s a new buzz phrase or just something that one or two people said and it gained traction.
The phrase has me concerned, because I think it misses the point of blessings. “Manifesting your dreams” means that you are in control of the whole thing. But we know that God is ultimately in control and if your dreams are coming true, I believe this is God making it happen.
I also believe that sometimes when we try to make our own dreams happen, we get really frustrated because God has a different plan. His view of our success is so different than what we think would be really cool. Sometimes we get this, usually years later, when we look back and see a “blessing in disguise.” But sometimes, I think we miss them entirely, mostly because we just can’t think like God does. Not yet. But I look forward to the day when I gain that kind of Godly wisdom.
I have dreams and hopes like everyone else, and get frustrated when they don’t happen. Other times, something I don’t even think twice about suddenly becomes very popular (a book or essay or painting, for example) and I stand there stunned because I just didn’t see it coming. When these things happen, it’s time to thank God for the blessings.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17
Personally, I do think God wants to hear from us about our hopes and dreams. I do think He wants to help us make them true, but at the same time, he sees it all differently. He blesses us in ways we don’t often understand. Okay, in ways I don’t often understand. I’m often caught off guard by my blessings.
So back to manifesting your dreams… if you’re thinking this, remember that even if you make something happen yourself, it’s only really good (the kind of good that resonates in your soul) if it’s God’s plan, too. Pray that he shows you his plan. Talk to him about your dreams and what you want to make happen. He’ll answer you, maybe not always in the way you expect but he will. You’ll feel it in your soul. Make time to pray and listen and then work on those dreams. When you put your effort toward the plan God has for you amazing things happen. I’m living proof of that. My career hasn’t gone the way I first envisioned when I started. But it’s been good. I haven’t had the success I thought I would have, but I’ve had success in ways I couldn’t have imagined. God’s plan for us is like that sometimes.
