DESIRES OF YOUR HEART

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42:1-2

Over this last year, God has brought me to a place of getting to encourage moms at MOPS (Mother’s of Preschoolers) meetings. I had no plans or dreams of being a speaker…in fact, one thing I love about dancing is that I don’t have to speak! In dancing, I can be quiet, introverted…. I can just dance! One thing I encourage moms to do is to keep a dream journal and dream with God….

Last year when I walked into MOPS as an attendee, not a speaker, the speaker coordinator came running up to me and asked, “Are you our speaker for today?” I let her know, that I was indeed not the speaker….but inside my mind or my heart (not sure which!) this little desire creeped up and made me think… “that sounds SOOO fun, but I could NEVER do that!!! I can’t believe I am even thinking about it! That’s so silly….but it sounds really fun!”

I wrote that little desire down…not really thinking anything would come of it. But writing it down gave my heart permission in a way to dream about it….and writing it down, invited God to sort out that desire, shape it, and work out the details.

I love speaking so much to MOPS groups…for one, because I am so passionate about this ministry of MOPS that encourages moms with little ones. And secondly, because I get to SEE faces….speaking is basically like writing out loud for me….so to SEE those sweet faces out in the audience….it’s something really special for me. So if you are out there in the audience when I speak or you have been in the past…know that I really just want to run up to you and give you a big hug and I pray some tiny little thing that came out of this dancing heart….touched your heart and encouraged you in your journey as a mama.

On that note, today, I want to encourage YOU to dream with God by writing down any little stirring in your heart, any little desire that creeps up that makes your heart pitter patter….that thing that makes YOUR soul dance….what is it for you? When I come home from speaking, it makes me dance in my kitchen and be really silly with my three boys…what makes you dance in your kitchen….what excites you? Write it down as a way to say, “God, here is this desire…I don’t know if it’s in your will for me…I don’t know if I am meant to do this…but here it is because I know that You made my heart and I know that You know what I am made for….I give it up to You….take it, shape it, form it….”

And that simple gesture of handing over that desire to God puts your heart in a stance of trust in your Savior. Dreaming with God also requires a flexibility in your heart…being willing to see that desire come true and being willing to see it change or go away! He may bring that desire into reality in the future, He may use it to lead you to something else, He may show you that He has something better in mind….it could be a BIG desire and a BIG dream or a SEEMINGLY small dream….SEEMINGLY…..It could be a desire to be a professional ballerina….or it may be a desire to be a happy mama….or a desire to start your own business….or a desire to simply grow in your relationship with Him…desires can be all sorts of shapes and sizes….what is it for you today?

Let Him into your dreaming heart because as you do, He will guide you and you won’t believe how He will use your dreaming heart!

And keep meeting with Him. Deep down, our deepest desire is simply…. a desire for more of God like today’s verse describes. Keep meeting with Him. Keep taking the desires of your heart to Him. Keep dreaming with Him.

Handing over those desires of your heart to God invites God to work in your life….in big ways no matter who you are, where you are, or what season of life you are in.

Prayer: “Dear God, You know my heart. You know the little things that make my heart and soul dance…here are the desires of my heart. I give them to You, trusting You to guide me through life, directing me into Your best desires for my life.”