Living the Dream

What if God has dreams for you that you are not even aware of?  What if they are so big, you will never be able to comprehend the magnitude of them?  What if they are so outside your preconceived notions of who you are, that you would dismiss them if someone were to tell you of them?  How would you react if you found yourself in a place that was challenging everything you considered holy, good and praiseworthy about yourself?  Could you embrace His dream for you in its beginning stages with no guarantee of the outcome?

Joseph is my example today.  Maybe I relate to him especially right now because of my recent challenge to awaken to creativity.  I know it is a poor parallel, but it helps me understand the process Joseph might have gone through.

We see him in Matthew betrothed to Mary when he finds out she is pregnant.  He is an honorable man, so he plans to divorce her quietly so as not to expose her to public shaming.  Then an angel appears in a dream and tells him not to be afraid to marry her because this situation was initiated by the Holy Spirit.  Joseph is given the invitation to go “all in” with an incomprehensible explanation that is supposed to settle the matter.  I can see this being effective if happening in real time, but it was all given in a dream.  It must have been a powerful experience because when Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the lord commanded him.

Imagine that?  The angel spoke to him in a dream because God had a dream for Joseph that was so big; so beyond his natural ability to understand, that He didn’t want him to miss it by reasoning it out.  Maybe this marriage was one of opportunity for Joseph.  Maybe he was attracted to Mary initially or maybe he was going along with the wishes of his family knowing this was a good match.  Whatever their background, we are not told.  All we are told is that Joseph had the proper lineage to be the father of the King.  His lineage is laid out in the previous portion of scripture.  He is a descendant of David.

When things got a little complicated and embarrassing, Joseph wanted out, until the angel gave him a prophetic word with just enough information to keep him going in the direction of his calling.  Practically speaking, the angel only told him five things:

1.       I know who you are, and where you have come from.

2.       Don’t be afraid.

3.       Carry on in the direction you were headed.

4.       Something you cannot understand and do not have a grid for, is happening.

5.       This is what will happen as a result, even though you still don’t understand a word I am saying.

Joseph woke up and did what he was directed to do.  Simple fact.  Profound implications.  Listen and follow.  One step at a time.  Choices matter.  One life lived in the spirit makes a difference. 

God had a dream for Joseph bigger than anything he could conceive.  Even walking it out day by day probably didn’t bring a whole lot of clarification.  Granted, wondrous things happened to give him the affirmation that he was “living the dream”, but did he always know it or feel it or see the big picture?  Probably not.  And maybe that is precisely why he was chosen.  He didn’t need to.  He just listened and did.  He let God take care of His portion and he took care of his.  I think it is stunning when you think of the dreams God has for each one of us that can become a verb and not a noun when we just hear and do, hear and do.  We can be “living the dream” and living in the fullness of who we were created to be, as well as fulfilling the assignment we were given by God.  Some of us will have understanding of the big picture and may even have a more public platform, but some of us will live a quieter life, but still have influence far beyond our family.

I love the fact that Joseph was a background person.  He just faded into the background.  You can look at the story and think he only had a walk on part, but if you continue the story you will see that living the dream was pulling on all of who he was as a follower who could hear, a leader who could make urgent life changing decisions at a moment’s notice and a sojourner in a strange land.  He was also a proper father who taught his son a trade and one who raised his son to love God above all things.  Small steps matter.  Being faithful in daily life is part of living the dream. 

So, right now, I am exploring what it means to live in the dream of God for me.  It is not anything I desired or sought after, but apparently God has issued me an invitation to consider a part of my identity that was hidden for many years.  Who knows where we are headed?  I just know that I have accepted the invitation and I am turning my noun into a verb.  I am “living the dream”.