So Many Dreams

Are you a dreamer? I am. I think I was born a dreamer. I've always thought about the future. Who I'd be. What I would do. Where I would live. What my life would look like.

If I could pinpoint one event that really sent this musing into high gear, it would have to be a Halloween party waaaay back in elementary school. One of my classmates hosted this gathering in her home. I remember distinctly the girl's grandmother being there, dressed as a friendly witch, stirring a "cauldron" of fortunes she would dole out to each of us in turn.

I was thrilled with mine. It said, "You will marry a cowboy, live on a ranch, and have lots of horses." I slept with that little piece of paper under my pillow for weeks! Imagine that. Me, a rancher with a handsome cowboy husband and horses for miles. Ahhhhh. What a life!

Thing is... I didn't marry a cowboy and live on a ranch. What I did do was marry the cutest, bestest guy in the world who wore boots and a hat and drove a pickup. He didn't have a ranch, but I think it TOTALLY counts that during college in Waco he worked on a ranch! You see what I did there? Dream number 1. Check!

We didn't have lots of horses, but we did have lots of kids, four of the most precious beings God created and lent to us to raise for Him! We homeschooled this crew for twenty years (another dream come true that I never even realized I wanted). During those years we took field trips to places like the Pioneer Farm and the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg.

My heart fell in love with the country, the hills, the wide open spaces. Those precious little Mom and Pop shops on Main Street, the beautiful Bed and Breakfasts scattered here and there, and dream number two was born. One day I would own a big old country house and turn it into a Bed and Breakfast! I would raise chickens and make breakfasts of blueberry muffins, French toast, and scones with my very own farm fresh eggs. I would browse thrift stores and estate sales to furnish the place with the sweetest vintage finds, and when the kids were all grown, I'd reserve the entire place for them to come home to for the hoidays. Ahhhhh. What a life!

As I advanced in years that dream became less and less a real possibility. There were other things to attend to. Children graduating high school and going off to college. Parents beginning to need us more and more. I never let the dream die though.

I set my sights on something a bit more realistic. Some property outside of the city. Not too far, but just far enough to escape the lights and see those gorgeous stars. We'd buy a few acres and put five single-wides on it. Yep! You read that right. Five single-wides was my new dream! Each decorated it's own way, one for us and one for each of the kids's families. They would be set like spokes on a wheel, all revolving around a central space that held a great big fire pit where we could sit out at night, talk, laugh, and look up at the night sky.

If you're wondering... that particular dream hasn't come to fruition yet either, but the dream and the dreamer are still very much alive and well within me.

It's good to dream, to have hopes and aspirations. It's also good to have eyes wide open to all the blessings God has already given us. That brings me to the other night.

I stood out on the back deck. It was early evening, the time when all looks golden. The grass was vibrantly green after the recent rain. The breeze was gentle. And as I stood there, God opened my eyes to see... to really see the dream that was there all along.

Three picnic tables lined up in a row. Enough to accommodate eighteen or more. A little shed, just the perfect size for a cozy bed to help with the overflow when all the gang is here visiting. A tall privet hedge encompassing the entire space, making you feel like you're out in the woods somewhere. In the middle, a big ol' fire pit open to the sky for star-gazing.

I don't have chickens (...ahem,at least not now), but I do have birds, sooo many birds bringing joy to my days with their sweet songs. I don't have a garden, but I do have big pots of tomatoes delighting me to no end. And we have a place where the kids and grandkids can come, fill their bellies with good food, sit under the stars and fellowship, and at the end of day, rest on a cozy, comfy bed. And, if I remember correctly, wasn't that the dream all along?

God spoke to my heart that night. He reminded me of all I have to be thankful for, but more than that. He let me know that He has seen me. He has known my heart's desires all along, and He has graciously and generously fulfilled every. single. one.

Sometimes dreams come true exactly as we had hoped, and sometimes they are even better...

than we could have imagined. Ahhhhh. What a life!