Book of Forgotten Dreams

Do you remember those childhood dreams? Looking up into the stars and dreaming of being a pirate, a sailor, a rock star, a movie star, a princess in her castle being rescued by prince charming, a doctor, or maybe the next president of the United States. How often our dreams are dashed or forgotten as we grow. Those moments where you had ideas that thought would make you famous one day that only leads to nowhere. Do you remember the moment where you shared your amazing ideas only for someone to laugh at you? Those moments hurt. We laugh it off, but often deep inside a little part of that creative dream is forgotten or lost in a web of dashed hopes and dreams.

Joseph was a young man who was loved deeply by His Father and Mother and by His God. He looked at the stars and dreamed amazing dreams that God gave him. His brother’s laughed at him. There were times that life looked pretty grim for those dreams would be fulfilled in Josephs life. I am sure there were moments where he forgot or maybe gave up on those dreams when he looked at his situation and circumstances. Those moments where he felt forgotten and lost. Yet God remembered every promise and every dream and was working them out in His life. If you haven’t read the story please read Genesis 37-50. It is an amazing story of dreaming and creating with God.

During a time of struggling with sorrow and pain, Jesus took me to my favorite place with him. He revealed something that I had not seen before…This is my journey into the library of my own heart.

Book of Forgotten Dreams and The Library:

I step in taking your hand, and we walk along the path to our home. The smell of these woods and the cool breeze on my back bring refreshing life to me. The quietness of these moments with you cause my heart to wonder but yet I remain quiet taking in everything I hear, smell, and feel. I hear our feet on the familiar dirt path, and I hear your breathing as we move quietly along. You look at me and smile with such love. There is so much to say, but yet at this moment it is all released without making a sound. We continue up the path to the place where home is found. The sound of children playing brings joy to my ears as we come close children run up to greet Jesus and me with Joy and Cheers. I look down and see a little girl I often see in heaven. With her arms up, wanting to be held, I pick her up and surrounded by her warm, wonderful hug. She is so light and sweet. Her hugs bring such joy and love. Gently, I let her down, and she runs off to be with the other kids.

Jesus looks at me and says,

“I want to show you something that may have gotten lost in everything that you do. Come with me and let me show you something that has been waiting for you.”

So as we walk into my home and His fragrance fills the room. We walk through the dining room and go up the stairs. Going past my study, I see a door that I have never seen before. Inside is a great big library that is covered with books from ceiling to floor. As I come inside, I see the books are all different in size and shape. Some are clearly defined, but others are almost hidden as if they can’t be touched or obtained. I realize these are books that are yet to come, but deep inside this place is a history of what is inside. For these books are not just published words. These are my very dreams. This is the revelation that has come from times that have been unseen.

I see a book called, Forgotten Dreams and Journeys. I go to it and begin to weep. Inside this book was like a treasure chest of forgotten dreams, ideas, people, promises, and journeys. Some were big plans that had been taken out of time and chance or had been removed by bad decisions or circumstances. Some were forgotten loves and forgotten favorites. Some were even people that I had forgot how much were my favorite. There was also a place for forgotten paths. I looked closely at the pages in this chapter; it was map after map. Each map represented a journey that I started but never finished. I began to grieve looking at each one as a failure I had to keep. My sorrow, regret, anger, and hurt came with groans deep inside from places I had never known.

I kept wanting to go deeper, but Jesus gently took the book out of my hand and said…
“It is good, and it is done. These journeys were not wrong, and they were not mistakes. Yes, there was sorrow, hurt, and anger, but your journey was not the mistakes. Will you release them to me and let me heal every pain and sorrow? You have grown from these journeys, and you will have much more to come. Some will be recorded in this book as life goes along. There is so much you will get, whether they are forgotten, lost, or fulfilled. Fulfilling the dream isn’t based on success, it is based on remembering, learning, and making a difference as you go along. In each place, you made an impact, and you also grew. Even in the dreams that haven’t started, you created something for someone else to do. Even if you don’t fulfill those dreams, they are still there for future generations.

You created them with your words, and you created them with me and therefore…

They are Good.

I have created you to dream and to journey. Do not be ashamed of the failures, do not be ashamed of what was forgotten, but celebrate it because it will impact you and many along the way.”

Jesus then pulled me into his embrace, and it was as if all the shame from my failures lifted off me. I felt His love coming and restoring my soul. He then handed me a book and on it was the words Dream with Me. I looked at the front, and there was a picture of me as a child looking up at a window into a star-filled sky with a book on her lap and a pen in her hand. This was me, and this was what was to come not just for me, but for my children and future generations. It is time to dream and not forget. To write them down but remember there is hope for those forgotten dreams yet.