Today’s guest post is from Glynnis Whitwer who serves as the Executive Director of Communications at Proverbs 31 Ministries.
Glynnis is an author, speaker, and mom of five who blogs regularly at www.GlynnisWhitwer.com.
Do you have a dream to write? If so, you might find yourself connecting with Glynnis’s story.
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I sat on the couch during small group, tears dripping down my face, as I dabbed a tissue inconspicuously, turning my head ever so slightly away from my group.
The DVD series was about dreams, and a tender, hidden spot in my heart was coming to life. It was uncomfortable. Scary, in fact. I wanted to move toward it and away at the same time.
Nighttime dreams weren’t the topic, but rather those dreams we all have, usually starting in childhood. You know the ones … where anything seemed possible, and we were unhindered by the realities of genetics or abilities. We were sure to grow up to be ballerinas or fashion models, ignoring the fact that we couldn’t do the splits, or our height/weight ratio might be less than desirable for the runway.
Personally, I imagined the day my favorite band would invite me on stage. Hairbrush in hand, I practiced my moves and vocal range preparing for my big break.
That day on the couch however, the dream uncovering my simmering emotions wasn’t to dance or sing. It wasn’t even a dream from childhood. For years another dream had been stirring in my heart, a dream that had been dampened by doubts and the logistics of adulthood, and that was to write.
There was pain and excitement mixed as I allowed the dream to come to life, much like a foot that’s fallen asleep when the blood flow returns. Doubt whispered around every thought. Was this dream from God or me?? Did I have anything worth saying? Could I be good enough to have an impact? Was there a place for me?
My heart felt very vulnerable every time I pondered the idea. If I told someone of my dream would they give voice to the litany of taunts in my head? And yet the more I prayed about it, the more convinced I became that it was more than just a day dream, it was a God-given dream. When I finally accepted that truth, my attitude changed. It wasn’t just an interesting idea, it was an assignment.
I wish I could say the next day I started writing. But I didn’t. I tucked the dream in my heart and procrastinated. For months. Which turned in to years. Thinking about my dream was much easier than acting on it, because it was going to take a lot of work and sacrifice. And there was always a handy excuse.
Until one Sunday, my pastor opened prayer time with these words: “God has asked some of you to do something and you haven’t done it yet.”
The Holy Spirit was playing the drums on my heart as I shifted from foot to foot. There was no question; God was calling my name. A flood of people headed to the front with me to address their abandoned assignments.
That challenge was what I needed to shift from a passive to an active approach in my writing. To embrace the dream as mine to claim. To step in to an unfamiliar world believing that if God had called me to it, He wouldn’t abandon me.
That was almost 10 years ago, and yet I still remember what it felt like to cradle that dream in my heart as if it were a baby bird in my palm. Doubts and fears still whisper in my heart. But I can say with confidence, if God has given you a dream, then trust Him to make a way to fulfill that dream.
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Do you resonate with Glynnis’s story? If writing is your dream, Proverbs 31 Ministries has a new monthly membership site called Compel that trains and equips women in their calling to write non-fiction.
Proverbs 31 also offers an annual conference called She Speaks where you can receive intensive training in all aspects of writing and speaking.
What about you? Do you have a dream you need to move from a passive to an active approach?
