Dreams Do Come True!

We are learning about how to develop self-confidence during my series, Confident in God's Hands. But today, I want to talk about what happens when we place our confidence in God's ability to make our dreams come true.

The Green Canoe
A few years ago, I began reading books by various authors, both Christian and otherwise, about how powerful our dreams can be. When I say dreams, I don't mean the ones we see while we're sleeping. I'm talking about the ones that are planted in our hearts.

Joe really wanted a canoe when we moved to the lake, but we didn't have the money for one. So, I decided one day that I would look for a canoe along the route we would travel to a strawberry farm. On the way out of the house, I picked up the mail and discovered an unexpected tax refund check for $250. I tucked it into my checkbook and forgot about it.

I had this sense that I would find a green canoe sitting right next to the road with wooden paddles sticking up out of it. We drove for hours, and all the while, I was craning my neck. I saw yard sales, garage sales, houses for sale, but no canoes.

On the way home, I was so tired, I completely forgot about my search. I was half-asleep when I looked over and saw a green canoe practically sitting in the road, with two wooden paddles sticking up! I shouted at Joe to stop, and I think the poor guy nearly had heart failure.

I was convinced that this was my free canoe, but when Joe inquired about it, he discovered that it was $300. There was no way we could afford it, but I opened my checkbook to consider how I might pull off some bill-shuffling for Joe's sake. The government check for $250 fell out, and we convinced the seller to let us have the canoe for that amount.

The green canoe wasn't exactly free, but the purchase of it was a wash in my accounting system. When God puts a dream in our hearts, he finds creative ways to make them come true. This is why I stress repeatedly to readers and friends the importance of creating a vision board or a dream book that is filled with images of our dreams.

The Red Sedan
Today, my old car's transmission and radiator went out. The repairs far exceeded the value of the car, so I called Joe and asked him to pray for God to provide what we needed.

The salesman went through his inventory, looking for something within our budget. He only found two, and when we checked the lot, one had already been sold. That left a red sedan, which fit our budget and met my needs.

Ever since the green canoe miracle, I am much more keenly aware of God's working behind the scenes to make our dreams real. As I was test-driving the red sedan, I suddenly realized that I had pasted a picture of a nearly identical car in my dream book last year!

When I created that image in my head, God began to set things in motion to make my dream come true. I had no clue how it would happen, and I certainly didn't leave the house today with the intent of buying a car. But once again, God put the finances in place to make the purchase possible for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) tells us, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jesus said in Mark 11:24 (NIV), "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Be bold in asking God for what you want! And have confidence in God's ability to provide. The Lord wants to bless us, but we must believe in his promises to prosper us. We must boldly pray when faced with challenges and wait expectantly for God to pull off something amazing.

Today's Challenge
What are your dreams? Have you told God about them? Have you written them down yet? Have you created a dream book or a vision board with magazine cut-outs, drawings, or brochures of what you want? There is tremendous power in God's promises, in faith, and in prayer. Dream big, ask, and believe with confidence that God can make just about any dream possible.