Do you remember when you were a child?
Childhood blesses us with so many dreams. We don’t have the lived experience to put them on the shelf so we consider them all to be possibilities. We believe we can be or do almost anything (or at least hope that we can).
Heading off to elementary school began to challenge some of those dreams. We needed to work harder, study more, and adults outside of our parents began to assess our abilities. Peers were not just the kids from the neighborhood and perhaps a Sunday School class. Many of them had different values and views. The person we wanted to be our best friend didn’t always respond as we hoped.
That shadowed the earlier childhood dreams for some of us. There were all sorts of reasons for that. One of the key ones was whether or not we had someone (anyone) who believed in our unique possibilities and us. If no one came alongside us to encourage us, doubts about dreams and abilities began to grow.
But it didn’t stop there. No matter which way our early dreams evolved, high school brought a buffet of challenges and more pressure than we might have expected. There were all those extracurricular activities, but now you often needed to excel to be able to participate. There were try-outs for sports, musical groups, speech, and drama groups. More of who you were was evaluated all over again. That wreaked havoc with some additional dreams.
We were being asked to make decisions about college, tech school, or getting a career 
and it tended to feel a bit overwhelming. It felt like a forever decision. Most of us didn’t know then that our brains didn’t mature fully until nearly 27 years old and we also didn’t have a ton of experience. How much did we really know about ourselves anyway?
Life can be a bit like a conveyor belt ride at a theme park, but we don’t know that will be the case when we are young. We don’t realize that life is always in transition and neither we nor our environment or opportunities remain the same.
Perhaps we need to learn that life gives us a chance in each new season to dream a new dream. (And it doesn’t stop as we get older or retire.)
Transitions from one season of life to another come with more than a few challenges. We can look forward to some of the changes that come with the transition and shudder at others. We can be tempted to ask, “What now?”
The answer to the question is impacted by whether or not you risk finding a new dream.
The new season offers new opportunities, not just limitations and losses. Believing that and discovering a new dream is a key to continuing growth, deeper satisfaction, passion, and a zest for living, but the key is to find a new dream (a new possibility) before the transition actually occurs.
Over and over again in the Bible we see possibilities for new dreams at different seasons of life. I think God designed it that way. Look at how many of the stories show God showing up with new dreams and big opportunities even when a person may think they are beyond the age when those are possible. (Moses comes to mind and so does Caleb when he said, “Give me that mountain” … or similar words.)
My dreams have changed many times over the course of my lifetime even though some 
of the pieces of each dream may remain. I love God’s unfolding design and even now am curious about what He has in mind next.
You see, whatever your limitations may be, His design and dreams for you have already taken that into account.
What’s holding you back?
Find a new dream for the next season of your life. That new dream provides a new beginning.
How like God!
God is the author of new beginnings.
Soo true!! Always have a dream!! Look where Joseph’s dreams took him!! Pit to the PALACE!! Dream big dream new!! 🙌great post!!
Lisa!!
Thanks so much!🌻
Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday at Mommynificent.com this month!
Tina
Absolutely! Always enjoy stopping by😊
Thanks so much Clearissa!❤️
I appreciate your call to find my new dream. Soemtimes I believe dreams are for childhood until I see God’s hands orchestrating things in my own life. God is the author of new beginnings.
I agree about the feeling that dreams are for childhood, but it’s exciting to realize God doesn’t resign us to only dreams in childhood. (Consider Joel 2:28) He is indeed the author of new beginnings…even the new beginning you are delighting in now with a new grandchild.❤️
I really enjoyed reading this because it resonates so much with my own decision not to follow my dream of writing when I was in high school. I always thought I had to be practical and do what everyone else was doing: college or military and get a regular job. Now that I am way older and have my own kids, I dare to dream again and go after it. Thanks for sharing with us at #OMHGWW.
Oh, Alice, I so identify with what you shared here. From the time I was a child I dreamed of writing and made the start of stories in my head, but at the time I graduated from high school and went to college women either became nurses or teachers and I went the latter route for a season. Then graduate school and clinical counseling for 25 years. Then…at retirement a Writers Boot Camp required a website and blog to attend and nearly four years later with blogging 3x each week and a book written last year, I am amazed at how the Lord brought that all around full circle. I can still have doubts, but now I know that is common for all writers (even well known ones like Anne Lamont or Stephen King). What a joy! I hope you go for it and discover what an adventure lays ahead of you yet.❤️
Your outlook can have such a difference whether you trust God or not. I’ve seen people say they trust God but have a terrible attitude about what they see coming and those who have a great attitude and the difference is marked.
Very true! You have said that very well. That outlook can be affected by so many things including past abuse and trauma or neglect that makes it doubly hard to trust Him.
“The new season offers new opportunities, not just limitations and losses.” This is an important perspective. Change is hard. I find it gets harder as I get older. Remembering that the change is also opening a door for opportunity, for God to do a new thing, helps me to enjoy it and even anticipate it.
I agree about the challenge of change. Thanks so much for stopping to comment, Jana.🌷
It can sometimes seem like dreams are no longer valuable or even possible. Yet, God sees our value no matter the season, doesn’t He? I like how you say too, that dreams may have changed, however pieces of them remain. So true!
I think that can be true, Lynn. Yes, indeed He does. It is the enemy’s desire we never recognize how the Lord is at work in and through us and His dreams are amazing! 💕