A few years ago, Crystal and I were members of a leadership
development program. We engaged in
leadership seminars, read recommended books, and listened to audios, all for
the purpose of growing our leadership skills.
The information that we received was valuable, and the implementation of
the information has proven itself to be a priceless asset in both of our
lives. In fact, it was during our tenure
with this fantastic group of leaders that the dream of the ranch was awakened
and solidified in our hearts. I know
that the ranch is not a realization yet, but we have come a long way since we
first began our journey of faith six years ago.
Time will not allow me to share all of the amazing things that we learned
from the program, but in context to the ranch, allow me to share one. A constant theme that we heard from the
leadership seminars and the audios was simply this: “Dream, Struggle, Victory!”
“Nothing happens, but first a dream.” I heard this said from stage too many times
to count. And how true it is! Every successful business, every growing
ministry, every championship team, every thriving marriage, every record
broken, every beautiful work of art, every nation who has found freedom-it all
started because someone or a group of someones had a dream of what could be and
what should be.
Success in anything begins with a dream. Show me someone who is a dreamer, and I will
show you someone with unlimited potential.
However, show me someone who has stopped dreaming, given up on their
dreams, or settled for less noble dreams, and I will show you someone who will
never reach their potential, someone who will never be fulfilled, someone who
will never be fully alive.
It all starts here! I
know too many people who have decided to live a “settle for” life. At one time, they had a God-given dream
burning inside of them, a yearning that could not be explained. But then something happened. They got knocked down, or ridiculed, or
mocked. They ran out of money, or
failed. They listened to the voice of
the evil one who told them they weren’t good enough, or smart enough, or rich
enough, or talented enough, and they settled for something lesser. Maybe they fell victim to the comfort zone,
sacrificing life and freedom for a security blanket. I don’t know, but I pray that God awakens the
dream inside of them. I pray that He
lights a flame in their hearts, that He would make them so dissatisfied with
their comfort and stability that they would rather die chasing their dream than
live half dead.
Let me say this to those of you who have lost the dream: the
Dream Giver believes in You. He placed
that dream in your heart because He has a purpose for you, and He has equipped
you with the power and ability to fulfill it. You are His ambassador, His salt and light,
His prince or princess, His workmanship.
He has bestowed upon you His power.
He has declared you righteous and holy, and His calling upon your life
is holy and without repentance. He has
appointed this task to you, and if you do not fulfill it, no one will.
But your task does not end with the dream, it only starts
there. I know of many dreamers who never
accomplish anything. Not because they
are bad people, but simply because they never do what is required to accomplish it. There are some who may even start out, but
once they realize how much work is involved or how hard it is, they turn
back. This is why I am warning you right
now. There will always be a struggle before the victory. Don’t miss this point. To miss this is to miss everything. There will always be a struggle. Dream, Struggle, Victory.
Ever since Crystal and I made the decision to pursue our
dream, we have faced struggles. We have
faced financial struggles. We have faced
ridicule from people who should have supported us. We have dealt with heartbreak, sickness, and
death. We have had to uproot our family
twice, taking our children away from their friends. We have faced loneliness and isolation. We have faced much uncertainty along the
way. Disappointment, discouragement,
discomfort, and any other d-word you can possibly imagine.
We have now lived in Idaho for 2 months, and we are facing a
whole new set of challenges. I have
started a window cleaning business that is growing at a very steady rate (I
have 60 clients in just 6 weeks), but it has not yet grown to the capacity to
cover all of our monthly bills. We have
struggled to find a place of worship. We
have visited 6 different local bodies, and we do not feel like we belong in any
of them. Because of this, we have not
made many friends at all, one couple to be exact. It has not been what we expected. My kids are troopers, but I know that they
miss their friends. I have struggled
within myself because I do not feel like I am doing anything right now to build
the kingdom. I do not feel
fulfilled. There are many days I long to
head back to Michigan or even SC (never thought I’d say that.) There are times when security and comfort
sound so appealing.
It has not been easy,
but it is not supposed to be easy. If it
were easy, everybody would do it. It has
been good, though. You see, if it were
easy, I could probably handle it on my own, and maybe not lean on my loving
Heavenly Father. If it were easy, it
would come at too cheap a price, and I would not value it for the precious gift
that it is. If I could do it on my own,
then others might honor me for my accomplishments. God forbid.
Let the struggles come, so that when we persevere, others will be able
to say, “Only God!!!” God has done great
things. He has sustained us. He has led us. He has delivered us. He has encouraged us. He has provided for us. He has allowed us to
cross paths with some amazing fellow warriors. Only God!!!
He will keep you during the struggle and He will direct your way through
the struggle. So don’t turn back, and
don’t look for easy. Be strong and very
courageous, for the Lord your God is with you, and victory is coming.
