Author | Jamie

“Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”

~ 2 Kings 4:28 (check out 2 Kings 4:8-37 to get the entire crazy scoop on this woman)

This story really gets me.

The woman was content with her life. She had plenty and she chose to be thankful for that instead of focusing on what she lacked. That seems commendable to me.

However, God saw into her heart and knew the desire that she was unwilling to admit, maybe even to herself. I can understand that. What is the value of longing for something – especially something you have no power to attain? It seems like it would likely lead to discontent and unnecessary sadness. Better to be content and not ask for much.

What is the value of longing for something –

especially something you have no power to attain?

Apparently, God is willing to dream much bigger than we are. He longs to fulfill even the unspoken desires of our hearts and give more than we could ask or imagine.

The problem for me is that I don’t know which of my desires He longs to fill and which desires are not good for me. I find it simpler to not want anything from God and simply let Him decide. Yet God wants more for me. He wants me to put Him on the line and be willing to ask big things of Him. God must know that my life would be better if I trusted Him with the deep, unspoken desires of my heart.

Yet God wants more for me. He wants me to put Him on the line…

Why don’t I share my deep desires with Him now? Because I don’t want to be disappointed.

Yet if I trust God to be who He says He is – a Father who would never give a scorpion when I ask for a fish – then I can trust Him with these deep, heart desires. I can trust Him to hold my treasured longings with gentle care. I can trust Him to choose the best way to satisfy those longings. Also, He can be depended on to comfort my aching heart when those desires go unsatisfied.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” ~ Proverbs 13:12

Unspoken dreams can still be crushed. The safest place for me to keep these dreams are in my Father’s hands. He alone knows the best thing to do with them. No need to be afraid of dreaming.

Unspoken dreams can still be crushed.

The safest place for me to keep these dreams are in my Father’s hands.

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.” ~ Ephesians 1:18-19a

What is it that you wouldn’t dare to hope for? Would you be willing to tell Jesus about it?

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It seems appropriate that I would be vulnerable and share my heart dream that I have been afraid to tell Jesus until recently. Here it is:

I long to live in close Gospel-community – a place where I know and am known, love and am loved. I long to share the regular work of life – cooking, cleaning, raising children – with some other people. I long to help those who are hurting and point them to Jesus, who loves them the most. I want to have people near me who will remind me when I forget that I am precious to God, that I am loved, that I am enough, that I can’t do it alone…and many other things.

Why would I be afraid to share this dream with God? Do I really think that I came up with this on my own? Not likely.