God, Bucket Lists, and Wild and Crazy Dreams

Louisa Ikena writes about exercising our minds and hearts to dream the dreams God would have us dream. 

The courage to dream

What do I long to do when I have both enough money and enough time? In the Bible, I turn to the prophet Joel:

It shall come to pass
I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions. (Joel 3:1)

It takes courage to dream dreams. I am being vulnerable and giving myself permission to hope. But, truly, what would I do, what do I yearn to do, if all ideal conditions in my life were met, just for today? 

Complete freedom — isn’t that something we long for and strive for? Freedom to speak my mind freely, freedom to worship, and financial freedom are among the freedoms I am talking about. There is a Bible verse, “The borrower is the slave of the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). So much of our society hinges on debt. It is quite counter-cultural to hold debt-free screams in such high esteem. Yet I have found great peace in paying off my debt and not accumulating new debt, just for today. 

There is a sense of pressure that is released when I ask the question that is at the beginning of this article. What do I long to do when I have both enough money and enough time? It is fun to take a step back and brainstorm: if I did not feel any time pressure or money pressure, what would I do? Anything different? And, if yes, what is stopping me from doing it now? Am I a good steward of the gifts God has given me, including time and money? 

Lists, inspired by dreams

I love generating fun lists. One of them I title my “Wild and crazy dream list.” Sometimes items on this list, indeed, transfer to my “Bucket List” and are attainable, not so farfetched after all. Other times the items on the list serve as good practice in opening my heart to the Lord to dream dreams. 

Examples of items on my “Wild and crazy dream list” are serving with Mother Teresa’s sisters in India, going on an African safari, learn songs in indigenous languages, pick up calligraphy, and (my favorite) write books — lots of them. As always, I have been taught to pray, “Lord, if these are in alignment with Your will for me, please increase my desire to do them, and if they are not in alignment with Your will for me, please decrease my desire to do them.” 

We are so blessed, beyond measure, with both material needs met and opportunities available to us. Everyone receives 24 hours every day. No one is rich or poor when it comes to time. It has been said that we overestimate what can be done in a day and underestimate what can be done in a year. In that sense, it is possible to be poor in the productivity of our time. I’m simply highlighting that the freedom to step back and evaluate is, in itself, a luxury to most people on this planet. 

Freedom from worry is a difficult freedom to achieve, yet we are called to let go and let God nonetheless. Dreaming a fresh dream, indeed, helps me to let go, at least for a moment. 

The truth is, thanks be to God, I do have both sufficient money, and time, just for today. Thank you, Lord. Please help me be a good steward and use them well. Help me dream the dreams You would have me dream. Come, Lord, pour out Your Spirit!  

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Copyright 2024 Louisa Ann Irene Ikena
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