When You Refuse to Let the Dream Die

There have been plenty of times when I stopped.

Times when I became tired, discouraged, overwhelmed, or simply didn't know what to do next.

There have been dreams I tucked away because life demanded my attention somewhere else. There have been seasons when just getting through the day took about everything I had.

But I've learned something important:

Stopping for a while and giving up are not the same thing.

Sometimes persistence doesn't look like charging up a mountain with your arms raised in victory.

Sometimes persistence looks like sitting down on the side of that mountain, catching your breath, wiping the sweat and tears from your face, and deciding that tomorrow you'll climb again.

I've done a whole lot of sitting on the side of mountains.

I've also done a whole lot of getting back up.

The Dream That Wouldn't Die

Many years ago, Gary and I shared a story that neither one of us could possibly have understood while we were living it.

There was young love. Separation. Heartbreak. Years apart. Different lives. Painful experiences. Questions without answers.

And then, after 35 years apart, God brought our paths together again.

Even writing those words still amazes me.

Our story didn't magically become perfect. Healing doesn't work that way. Life doesn't work that way.

But little by little, God began redeeming things we once thought were lost forever.

Eventually, Gary and I began putting our story into words.

That became a book.

And this week, something happened that once seemed almost impossible:

Our book, Soulmates: Redeemed and Restored — A Story of God's Amazing Grace, became available in both paperback and eBook.

I sat there looking at it and realized—

We actually did it.

Not quickly.

Not perfectly.

Not without stopping.

But we did it.

Persistence Doesn't Mean You Never Get Tired

I think sometimes we misunderstand perseverance.

We picture strong people who never get discouraged, never question themselves, never need to rest and certainly never think about quitting.

I don't know many people like that.

I certainly am not one of them.

I've had days when I've accomplished more before breakfast than most reasonable people would attempt all day.

And I've had days when taking a shower felt like an accomplishment.

Both kinds of days are part of life.

Persistence isn't refusing to rest.

Persistence is refusing to let a difficult season convince you that the story is over.

Scripture says:

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

Notice those words: do not grow weary.

God knows we get weary.

He knows there are seasons when our bodies are tired, our hearts hurt, our resources are limited and the road ahead looks much longer than we expected.

The encouragement isn't that we must never become tired.

It's that weariness doesn't have to make the final decision.

Clear Out What Keeps Pulling You Back

I've also learned that moving forward sometimes requires dealing with what we're carrying from behind.

Painful memories.

Words spoken over us.

Failures.

Rejection.

Shame.

Fear.

Things other people did to us that we had absolutely no control over.

If we're not careful, yesterday's pain can become today's voice.

It whispers:

Who do you think you are?

You've tried before.

What if you fail?

It's too late.

You're too old.

Too much has happened.

But healing has taught me that I don't have to allow painful memories to write the ending of my story.

Neither do you.

We can acknowledge what happened without allowing it to determine everything that happens next.

And Sometimes...You Celebrate

This week, I'm celebrating.

I'm celebrating a book.

I'm celebrating Gary and me.

I'm celebrating words written when we were tired.

I'm celebrating all the times we started again.

I'm celebrating healing that once seemed impossible.

And I'm celebrating the fact that dreams don't come with expiration dates.

Maybe you're reading this while sitting on the side of your own mountain.

Maybe you've stopped.

Maybe you're exhausted.

Maybe something you once dreamed about has been sitting untouched for months—or years.

I'm not going to tell you to jump up and conquer the whole mountain today.

Maybe today you simply need to rest.

But while you're resting, don't bury the dream.

Take another look at it.

Ask God what still belongs in your hands and what needs to be released.

Then, when you're ready, take one more step.

You don't have to finish today.

You don't have to have everything figured out.

You don't even have to move particularly fast.

You just have to refuse to let the dream die.

And when you finally reach one of those places you once wondered if you'd ever see?

Stop.

Look around.

Thank God.

And celebrate the win.

You've earned that moment.