TIME FOR DREAMS
“There’s plenty of time.” How many times have you heard that or even thought it yourself? Another birthday has come and gone, and it has made me realize that the reality is, time is getting short. The years have gone by so quickly, but my dreams still remain in my heart. Some of these dreams I label callings, believing God has given me these dreams and He expects me to work with Him to see them fulfilled.
One of my most cherished dreams was to take over the band director position at my old elementary / junior high school. To that end, I went to college and graduated with a degree in music education for grades K-12. I was ready, but my dream had to wait because my band director wasn’t yet ready to retire.
I married and had two children. When they were of school age, my husband and I decided to homeschool them, my dream would have to wait. As part of their schooling, we wanted them to grow up with a love of music and to learn to play at least one instrument. Much to my chagrin, my son set his sights on being a drummer (like his dad), while my daughter wanted to learn piano and clarinet. They were both talented, but they had no band to play in. We went to our local school district, and even with my offer to volunteer, our children were turned away. We were very frustrated and heartbroken for them. But God had a plan—start a homeschool concert band instead.
After enlisting the help of my old band director, the first homeschool concert band in New York State was born. We started with about ten kids who had never played an instrument before, who were full of excitement and ready to work. God took those ten students and grew the band to about forty, blessing our efforts along the way. This band of 3rd through 12th graders rivaled any high school band in the area. My heart was full. God knew my dream —to be a band director— and He helped me to fulfill it. His ways truly are better than ours.
Eventually, the job I had hoped for opened up. It was mine if I wanted it, and with my kids now in college, it seemed to be perfect timing. Unfortunately, I was living with a chronic illness that prevented me from working full-time. My lifelong dream, along with my heart, was crushed. As I struggled to accept reality, I cried out in prayer to God. What was I supposed to do now? Once again, God had something better in mind. He led me back to another one of my forgotten dreams, to be a writer. With my husband’s support, I set out to write. By God’s grace, the first article I submitted to a magazine was published. Knowing how rare this is, I knew I was following God’s leading.
The journey from there has not been without detours, but I remain on the path He has set for me. It seems He also had plans for me to teach and to speak—a road I would never have chosen on my own. I continue to follow His leading, with fears, detours, and all, because His ways of fulfilling my dreams are so much better than I could ever imagine. I don’t know where God will lead me next, but I can’t wait to find out. After all, I still have dreams, and He shows me each and every day that there may not be plenty of time, but there is just enough time, if I trust Him.
I encourage you, if you have a dream, to take the first step now and trust God for the rest. Time is getting short and He wants to make dreams you’ve never even imagined come true. Follow where He leads, you’ll never regret it. And if you get a chance, please share some of your journey with me in the comments. I’d love to hear what God is doing in your life.
Used with permission from Linda Condolora. To read more of Linda’s writing visit https://blog.lindacondolora.com/.
