What's Your Heart's Desire?

I'm married to a dreamer. A romantic, sentimental, follow-your-heart dreamer. He wooed me by bringing me a beautiful Tiger Lily to plant and we forever watch it grow and spread bringing more beautiful flowers -- just like our love. He played the guitar and sang John Denver's Annie's Song... "You fill up my senses like a night in the forest..." and My Sweet Lady... "Close your eyes and rest your weary mind, I promise I'll stay right here beside you..." He wrote songs and poetry just for me. Aaahhh - my dreamer.

Sadly, as years passed, dreams seemed to die and reality set in. Evidence of the toll of life's hardships, broken hearts, shattered dreams . The saddest part of all -- I am a realist. I felt I helped shatter my husband's dreams by always pointing out reality. You know, how those dreams simply can't become reality since we don't have enough money, time, etc. After I realized what I had done, in partnership with life's devastation, I realized something had to be done! Well, let me say, the Lord helped me realize something had to be done. The darkness in my husband's eyes broke my heart. His dreams and desires -- well, they were his hope, his joy, his motivation.

What is our lives without dreams, without desires?

My first novel is based upon this very thing, for the Lord led me to Psalm 37:4. The NKJV says it like this: "Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart."

Then, a couple months ago I ran across John Eldredge's gift book, Dare to Desire. I bought that for my husband. I began trying to encourage him to dream again -- as much as my pessimistic realism would allow. Light is slowly returning to my husband's eyes. He is playing his guitar again... I had to apologize for my "non-dreamer" attitude set to fulfill the expectations and obligations I thought others had for my life. We are seeking to delight in the Lord. You see, our heart's desire has become united -- just please the Lord. Our dreams and desires don't always fit in with the will of the Lord because we are in the world. However, when we strive to delight in Him, He adjusts our vision, our heart, to His desires! Isn't that AWESOME!

John Eldredge said in his book, Dare to Desire, "The damage of abandoned desire is a life lost unto itself. Millions of souls drift through life without direction. They take their cues from others and live out scripts someone else wrote for them." Life is filled with expectations. The church is filled with expectations. Are you living a life others expect from you? Or are you living the life God expects of you?

The busyness of life can get us drawn into simply survival mode -- dreams lost. But focusing on the Word, communion with the Father, living in His presence, dreams are reborn.


I believe God placed dreams, desires, hope in my husband's heart. And my heart smiles to see those reborn.