Dare to dream…dare to dance!

Genesis 37.1-11

¹ Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. ² This is the account of Jacob’s family line.  Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate^[a] robe for him. ⁴ When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. ⁵ Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. ⁶ He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ⁷ We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” ⁸ His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. ⁹ Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” ¹⁰ When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” ¹¹ His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Dare to dream…Dare to be determined…Dare to be devoted…Dare to be different.  These were the points in Brother Alan’s sermon this morning.   Genesis 37.1-11 was the sermon text today.  Joseph dreamed.  Joseph was determined.  Joseph was devoted and Joseph was different.  God had a plan for him.  He knew of His plan for him before he was born.  Jeremiah 29.11 states:

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Once again, God spoke to me during this message.  He has been doing that a lot lately!  Praise the Lord!!!

I would also like to add Dare to dance.  It makes me think of the song I HOPE YOU WILL DANCE by Lee Ann Womack.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin’ might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’
Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’
Don’t let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin’ out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along)
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder, where those years have gone?)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along)
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder, where those years have gone?)

God has used this song to speak to me before.  He is using it again.  I get to join the big dance –  in the runner’s world anyway…The Boston Marathon on April 16, 2012.  During the sermon this morning something hit me.  Another God thing! Several things actually…the first was when Brother Alan used the phrase God-given…I had just used that phrase when describing this awesome Boston journey. (I stole the phrase from Nancy…thanks, friend)  God has given me this incredible opportunity to serve Him, glorify Him and run for Him.

The second revelation was how each of the points in the sermon describe my journey to Boston.  I had a dream. God gave me that dream. He placed it in my heart a long time ago….knowing it would come true one day.  God gave me determination to run and to run for Him.  God gave me the desire to turn over or devote my running to Him. Once I was introduced to the Run for God Bible study, it finally clicked…my running talent and desire belong to God. Different…God knows I am different…many ask “why run 26.2 miles???”  For Him…that’s why!!!

Finally, I was amazed thinking back on this journey and how I get to attend the big dance…the 2012 Boston Marathon.  And it hit me! The date of the 2012 Boston is April 16, 2012.  The 2011 date of our graduation run for Run for God (where I was introduced to Team Hoyt) was April 16, 2011.  Did God know this??? I believe so! One year to the date, after our Run for God completion/graduation run is when I will fulfill this God-given dream! This is when I mentally turned my running desires over to Him…and look where it has led…to an exciting adventure with Him in the lead.  Are you ready to dream and dance?

We serve an awesome God! Ya know? 😉

Running blessed more everyday!

Trish