dreams into reality
In January we had our Regional Leader’s Retreat (RLR) in the Greater Toronto Area. The theme was “Rekindle,” one that is classic and can be somewhat cliché to those who have been to many Christian leadership retreats. Personally I was in what I will recall the darkest period of my life thus far, so having the theme of rekindle, I couldn’t handle all the irony it entailed. However that RLR was unlike any other I’ve ever attended before. It truly was a retreat out in what seemed like the middle of nowhere and despite it being extremely cold, there was an unequivocal peace whenever I was with the Lord. When I say “with the Lord” I mean quite literally with Him as we were blessed with perpetual Eucharistic adoration. Contradictory to the peace I felt, there was a burning desire for something greater, a sort of restlessness that I could not ignore. I don’t know how to explain it, but I knew then that there is a journey and experience set for me beyond my wildest imagination. It didn’t make sense. There’s a lot of crazy things I dream about and although I hope that they will one day come true, I couldn’t quite see many of them happening soon, at least not within this year. Yet the Lord brought me in front of him that weekend on January 13th 2018, despite the threat of a winter storm and many personal set backs. Seeing how God was taking care of me, I had nothing else left to do other than put my complete trust in Him.
Fast forward exactly 3 months later to April 13th 2018, I find myself on the other side of the world, sweating in the heat, worshiping God with 10 000 youth from various countries. Awe struck at the situation, I could not fully take it in. This was one of my crazy dreams, it had been for years, to attend an international conference (a.k.a. ICON). As if attending the conference alone wasn’t enough, I felt God personally meeting me in the little details. For one, many of the speakers, sharers and even worship leaders all seemed to have a connection to Campus Based. I am currently the Campus Based program head of GTA, and as silly as it may seem, just hearing and seeing fellow brothers and sisters from Campus Based helped me to feel like we are not alone in the GTA. If I’m being honest, it can be discouraging at times when you don’t see the greater picture and start to question if what you are doing has an impact at all. That is where I admittedly felt like my service mindset was heading. Though I still held hope and trust in God’s plan for campus based, it slowly started to feel like an encroaching isolating bubble. That may have been partly because I was losing the ability to dream for Campus Based. It was hard not to focus on membership numbers and event stats during our area service meetings. That in turn made me fear to dream; if I set my dreams too high they won’t be achieved within my service term or others may judge and not agree. I realized during our Global Leaders Summit (held immediately after conference), that my dreams had become faithless. The first session given by Kuya Lawrence Quintero was about living our dreams. He said,
“When you take God out of your dreams, it just becomes an idea. There is no dreaming without faith… have hope always.”
I realized then how I was losing the ability to dream. As someone who is usually full of ideas both realistic and extravagant, I didn’t pay attention to how I slowly started to stop thinking of new ones. As for the existing dreams, I started to let them drift away unconsciously, in a way I was giving up by not hoping and pursuing these dreams.
how I dream
To better explain, I personally separate my dreams and ideas. An idea for me is something that I can tangibly do in an immediate situation. For example, cutting out foam letters for an event. A dream for me, is seeing a greater vision, something that is able to reach the next level. For example, live projection mapping on 3D objects, even on people! (Imagine how this can help elevate a creative for a session, or visually enhance the experience of the event. It would be insane and I am excited because I know it’ll happen soon enough!).
When I truly dream, it’s not just a fleeing thought, it becomes a consuming goal that I hold in my heart and know it will be achieved. Sometimes the dreams may not be in the ways I expect it, but it will happen nonetheless and I am usually happy knowing that my dream became a reality in some shape or form.
why i dream
Through my dreams I am able to meet Christ as I rely on childlike faith for the Father’s helping hand to make the impossible possible. The most tangible example I have is me attending this year’s conference in the Philippines and having fireworks at the end of the Saturday night!
IT HAS BEEN MY DREAM TO HAVE FIREWORKS AT A CONFERENCE!
Quite literally, you can ask anyone I’ve served at an event with for the past few years, I always bring up fireworks! At one point I was going to start a petition, that if I received a certain amount of signatures we would seriously consider having fireworks at an event. I know this may seem like something so trivial, random, bizarre and like a logistical nightmare, but it’s truly something I held in my heart. Fireworks. To celebrate and display joy, another form of art and beauty, freedom of expression and how much more amazing to offer it up to the Lord at an event. This year’s ICON theme was Full Blast, they literally went full blast when they lit up the night sky with bursting colours.
I was simply a child again, jumping up and down, I could not contain myself. Again I was in complete shock. So surreal I questioned if I was really there or having a vivid dream. Literally another dream, years in the making fulfilled. In that moment I knew God not only hears and answers my prayers, but that He loves me so much He is willing to share in my dreams and make them a reality.
timing of dreams
Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in wanting our prayers answered immediately or within our own timing. I hate to break it to you, and to myself, but it doesn’t work like that. God has His perfect timing for answering our prayers and we must be patient and diligent with it
A leader and friend of mine once shared with me how some people are called to be Moses and others are called to be Joshua. Moses lead the Israelites for years but was not allowed into the promise land. Whereas Joshua, who was the younger appointed succeeding leader, was the one to bring the people into the promise land. In other words, sometimes as leaders we are there to put in the ground work, to plant the seeds and endure a lot of the labour. We also have the privilege of seeing the greater picture to work towards. However, it may not be within our time as leaders or in our particular service role that we see the fruits fully bare. Sometimes we may have to leave before the fruits are able to ripen, but the fruits will be there for someone else to pick and harvest. God uses us in different ways. Sometimes we are able to be like Joshua, to lead the people into the promise land, to pick the ripen fruits. Other times we may have to be like Moses, endure a lot of the labour, to plant the seeds.
Our dreams for our services, our dreams for our brothers and sisters, our dreams for the community, those are the seeds we are called to plant. Do not be afraid to dream big and plant the seeds. Sometimes the bigger the dream (like the seed of a tree) will take longer to bare fruit. However when that dream turns into reality and reaches its full potential, the blessings will reach as far as the branches stretch forth. The fruit bared will be plentiful, beautiful and sweet. Faith will be as deep as the roots that bind to the solid ground.
Ad Audendum Imaginatio;
Dare to imagine. Dare to dream.
In Christ,
Meagan Webb