How often do we have ideas and dreams that we know are needing to be birthed through us, but yet we allow other things and other people to distract and pull us away from taking time and effort to bring the idea into being? I’ve had so many creative ideas that I’ve known are directly from God, yet I’ve chosen to not press forward with them. Well, I feel like I’m jumping into something that I’ve been created to do, and this first step will open doors or at least accelerate me towards the other plans that have laid dormant for months.
On Thursday, I was discouraged thinking about this year is the year for me to choose to bring life to my dreams. I asked God to send encouragement for me to proceed with what I’d allowed myself to put on hold because of other life experiences pulling at my time and attention. When I woke up at 5:30am on Friday, I was surprised to see two texts from China. One of the texts showed only a Chinese name and the words, “Do you remember me?” Hmmm, that could be one of hundreds of Chinese kids that I have worked with over the past 9 years during the summer exchange programs. Then a text came through identifying it as the boy I had hosted in 2016 and not heard from since that time. I shared info about the family and pets, and he shared photos of his family. Then I ran my idea about online English tutoring past him. I was surprised that he was very enthusiastic and thought it was a great idea. Then he texted, “You can do it.” I had to laugh. Here was the boy who had lived in my home and not really shown enthusiasm for anything. Now he was the vessel that God resurrected to speak encouragement to me. Wow, what a great reminder that we never know the impact we have on someone and how the Holy Spirit can use the experiences to speak to someone.
Later, I was listening to teaching tapes about being bold and asking God for our desires. Well, I thought I had been doing that, but I realized the newest desire was to get a car and get going on the business and book dreams. Interestingly, I stopped the tape and started writing down ideas. The thoughts and plans spilled over onto page after page, until my pen literally ran out of ink. I went had caught a few words of Facebook video of Lance Wallnau theorizing that contentment is a learned skill that American’s have lost. Immediately I thought about how this idea of teaching contentment to kids was needed not only in America, but in China. Wham, I remembered the text from Vivan in China. Although it was almost midnight in China, I texted her. She texted back and told me she had opened an early learning center in Hong Kong. I told her I had an idea and curriculum that I think would work in China, and she was very enthusiastic. I know that she previously wanted me to come over and do teachings, but now I felt like this was an idea that the time was ripe for it. This project can not only provide extra funding, but open doors to writing again is an important step toward writing the Turkey stories. Although I woke up Saturday morning with thoughts of fear and how I had really gotten too excited over something that would fizzle and I should probably not waste my time—nope, not listening to those thoughts! I am made for this and God has been waiting for me to give Him something to bless because He is good and desires me to prosper so I can bring the Kingdom of heaven into places and to touch people who have yet to embrace God’s love.