COFFEE CUP
encouragment
On a particular morning, I was gazing my eyes over the window sill with hundreds of thoughts running through my mind. Telling myself, “I am in my final year of college but I still can’t figure out what I am supposed to do with my life – gosh!” As strange as this sounds I came to realize that I am not the only one struggling with purpose and the meaning of life.
Later during the day, I broke out the question to my youth pastor and told her about my doubts and fears as a young woman. I opened up to her as I was so desperate to find answers to my unsolved mystery. Tenderly and affectionately she understood my position, as she too went through the same experience when she was my age. However, her response did not meet my expectations. She replied in three simple words, “Rejoice, follow your dreams.”
“Follow my dreams?” I unleashed back to her. “What does following my dreams have to do with solving the reality I am in right now? This is no time for fantasies! Kindergarten is long gone and I can’t afford to waste time on dreams that seem to never materialize into existence. I don’t want to disappoint my parents who paid for my tuition fees; neither do I want to be a laughing stock to my friends if I happen to not achieve anything in life!”
My youth pastor had to hush me because I was talking faster than I was thinking. “Calm down, dear! You can never waste time if you invest in what God has placed inside your heart. Everybody has a God-given divine purpose on earth. God has given us dreams and desires inside of us that need to be birthed out! You are extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, and special. You have an answer to somebody’s problem; you have gifts and talents that can only complement your DNA. You are born to reign, to live life in abundance, overflowing and thriving.”
Those words had cut through my heart; as they resounded in my mind it was like rain drops on a very dry and parched land. It was as if I were a little girl trapped in a cage and suddenly I was released and allowed to become free for the very first time. I was so excited to know that I could actually live the life of my dreams. I didn’t need to limit myself, but instead see myself the way God sees me, that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I can dream, dream, dream and oh yes dream because it is God who placed His desires in my heart and he wants me to walk and live them out! Yes!!! If I can dream it, I can be it! I can change and impact lives around me. I can play music and start a music band, I can write novels and stories for children to enjoy. I can become an entrepreneur and start my own designers business. I can serve in my community by being a voice to the voiceless, hurt, broken and abused. I can get married to a godly man who loves Jesus more than he loves me. Ohhhh yeah I am following my dreams!
Jeremiah 29:11 says “I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope.” God wants the best for us and a future filled with hope. He wants godly girls all over the world to pursue His kingdom and righteousness first and all things you dream about will be added. We need to align our dreams with His purpose. Fear should be replaced with courage, unbelief with faith, and silence with action and finally emptiness with purpose. With God nothing is impossible; therefore follow your dreams.
We could all use an extra dash of cream and sugar in our coffee cup of daily encouragement! Savor the sweet words from one of our newest interns, Rejoice Tweufiilwa, as she shares a splash of refreshment into your coffee cup of life!
18