Dreams in my Heart, Pennies in my Pocket

                Have you ever had a dream that seemed plain-out ridiculous? No, I’m not talking about the ones you have when you’re unconscious and are being chased by some make-believe monster (as a direct result of some goofy movie you watched or a spicy-something-or-‘nother from Taco Bell’s fourth quarter menu). Nor am I referring to the dreams that jumble people, situations, and facts from reality all into one big conglomerated messy situation. I’m not even thinking about the ones that seem so real that you wake up dazed and confused and wonder, “Did that really happen, or was it ‘just a dream’?”
                Everyone has those type of dreams.
                I’m questioning about the dreams that are far more important than our unconscious minds can concoct. The ones that are more realistic. More far-fetched. More etched inside your very being. The ones that are far too “silly” for you to tell people about, yet far too big for you to conquer on your own. The ones you have when you’re FULLY AWAKE.

                You know, the good ones that you keep to yourself.      
               
                The ones you wake up with in the mornings, and tuck yourself into bed with at night. The ones you daydream about when you’re performing your regular routines of life (“if only….”). The ones that linger with you throughout the nights when you’ve awoken from a “nightmare”.
                I’m convinced that not everyone has those type of dreams. Or if they do, they’re very good at hiding them. So, rather, I should say this: Not everyone is bold enough to live in a way that proves they even have those type of dreams. But I would be hard-pressed to find any proof to the contrary that those dreams we have are directly placed in us by God. That’s right.
                [Side note: This reminds me of a scene in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit where Whoopie-the-nun-Goldberg is talking to Lauren-teenage-singer-girl-from-the-streets-Hill about pursuing her dreams in life… She says, “If you wake up in the morning and you can’t think about anything but singing, then you should be a singer, girl.”  
                Seque.
                Skip to the part where Whoopie (A.k.a. Sister Mary Clarence) stands up in front of her class of students whose whole world-environment has told them they’ll never amount to anything and boldly remarks, “If you want to be somebody, if you want to go somewhere, you better wake up and pay attention.”
                Why do you think she says this? Because the kids in that movie (and in those desperate life situations) needed to hear it. And because it’s true.]
                The best dreams are those you have when you’ve “woken up” so-to-speak from your daily routines and “pay attention” to what it is that truly captivates your interest and revives the passion you have for life.
                Granted, I know Whoopie Goldberg isn’t exactly an authority when it comes to living a God-revering life and living it abundantly, but I do know one thing is for sure: Her character, “Sister Mary Clarence,” had it spot-on.
                With all said, what is that dream you have tucked inside your heart? What is the dream that God Himself has placed inside of you? What-in-the-world would it take for you to share it with others, proceed with prayer, and begin to pursue it today with all that you are? Before the day is out, recognize what it is you’re passionate about. Share it with someone you know, trust, and love. Pray to the God Who gave you that dream. Ask Him to show you the details of how it will all work together for your good and His glory. And. Then. Go. Pursue. That. Thing.
                That’s just a little of what I’ve been thinking lately about my own life and actively pursuing my own dreams. But then again, that’s just my two cents on the whole matter. I only hope and pray that the jingle of two pennies in my pocket stirs you to sit down long enough to recognize the dreams you were made to have. They’re more than something simply to carry around inside of you.  They’re meant to be chased by you. Shared with others. And used to change the world around you.
                Don’t let them go to waste.

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