Living the Dream (conclusion)

So we finish today looking at the story of Hannah and her dream to have a child.  We have learned how Hannah committed her dream, with great passion, to the Lord.  She was brave enough to really let go of her dream, choosing to not make it happen in her own strength, but let God orchestrate the miracle.  Once Hannah received her "dream", she was faithful to stick to her promise to give her son back to God. 

The last thing that I learn from Hannah is how big our dreams can turn out to be when left in the hands of the Almighty God.  In the past, when I have decided to make a dream happen in my own ability and strength, nine times out of ten that dream falls flat.  In the rare occasion that the dream comes to some sort of fruition, you can bet that it is a lack luster version of what it could be had God been the one to do it.  And it surely is exhausting for me to work so hard to first make it happen and then secondly, keep that dream alive.  Looking at Hannah's story, I have to believe that my dreams would be bigger, more vivid, more influential and more satisfying than I could ever imagine if I let God be the life force behind it. 

In chapter 2 verse 21 we see that God gave Hannah three more sons and two other daughters.  WOW!!  Hannah only prayed for A son, not an entire family.  But because of her faithfulness to let God be Lord of her dreams and her desires, God blessed her.  More than blessed her -- blew her socks off!  Her idea of the "dream" was one son.  God's idea was an entire family -- more than Hannah probably ever anticipated. 

So the question to you and to myself is this: Just what could God do with your "dreams" if you laid them down and let the dream be God's?  What would happen if we gave up the control?  How would our dreams take shape and at what rate and magnitude would we experience the desires of our heart if we vowed to give them to God?  How can we, on a daily basis, surrender our expectations, preconceived ideas and how to's?  I think if we are bold enough to even take that tiny step of faith towards surrender, God's blessings would blow our minds.  We would experience less frustration and be more at peace if we allowed the dreams we hold in our hearts to be offered to God as a sacrifice.  Allow God to use his power over death and life.  You have a dream, just like Hannah did.  She chose to lay it down, put it to death in her heart and leave the ashes at God's feet.  God in turn spoke life into that dream, blessed Hannah and gave her a family in place of a son.  What life can God breathe into our dreams?