When the unexpected threatens to destroy your dreams, what do you do? Do you sulk, get angry, wallow in sadness, give up, or continue to try and make it happen even when reality says no. Find out today a new approach to take when your aspirations don’t turn out as planned.
One of my dreams was to own and operate a successful Certified Public Accounting practice. I envisioned getting my master’s in Tax and retiring at an old age, doing what I loved. My business success would give me the means to satisfy my passion for helping others. It appeared as though those dreams would come true. My CPA practice was thriving, and I liked every bit about it, from dressing up each day in a suit, meeting with clients, to my favorite time of the year, which was tax season. The best part was I could specialize in personal income tax, which gave me quite a bit of time during the off-season to pursue my first dream of motherhood. Plus, I had discovered a passion for helping others by leading short-term mission trips abroad.
The Unexpected
But then, the unexpected happened, and my children needed round the clock care. Life came to a quick halt as I had known it. We quickly sold our CPA practice, so I could provide the care my children needed. It wasn’t hard choosing; I was right where I wanted to be. However, it wasn’t easy to let go of the dream and the life I had envisioned. At first, I hung on to the plan, thinking restoration would happen, and somehow, I would step back into the corporate world.
However, over time God gave me a new dream. And here I am, a writer, speaker, leader, and mental health advocate. Plus, I re-discovered a love for snow skiing, which wasn’t too conducive to tax season. God is good; He can give us new dreams.
When the unexpected threatens to destroy your dreams, let God give you a new one. #dream #dreams #unexpected Click To Tweet
Featured Post
This week over on Candidly Christian, Sherry Chamblee has insightful words of wisdom on what to do when reality takes over our dreams. Oh, how I wish her words would have been with me when the unexpected threatened to destroy my plans.
Now for our Featured Post
“Dreams Don’t Always Go As Planned… Dream Anyway”
By Sherry Chamblee
Click here to read.
“Embracing a new dream is not giving up. It’s taking reality and turning it into something beautiful.”
Sherry Chamblee
Has the unexpected ever threatened to destroy your dreams? Did a new pursuit come out of it?
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I’m learning my dreams rarely work out the way I expected. Always, God uses the setbacks to draw me closer to Him . . . sometimes through me laying aside one dream and learning how to seek Him over the dream, and sometimes through persevering with Him on the journey toward fulfilling the dream. Always, though, my relationship with God needs to be more important in my heart that pursuing the dream. I so appreciated your post!
Jeanne, Thank you so much for adding your thoughts to our discussion on dreams. I love what you said about your relationship with God needs to be the most important part. It can be so hard to let go of our dreams sometimes. I don’t give up easily. Yours speak volumes as to what is most important. Maree
I didn’t know you were an accountant too, Maree! That’s what I was, once upon a time. It’s been years ago now. I didn’t go the public route though; I was an accountant for a private computer company. And then kids came along and I never went back to accounting. It was a great choice; I thank God I had the option. Not everyone does.
Lisa,
Thank you for sharing. It is always fun to know fun little things we have in common with others. I would love to know your story of how you came to be a writer. Maree
I have lived this reality and I’ve realized it was a matter of adjusting my perspective. His ways and time are so much better than mind giving me peace.
I don’t know how else to say it. Thanks for this encouraging post.
Thank you for stopping by and leaving an insightful comment. You said it well—“His ways and time are so much better than mine giving me peace.”
Maree, I’ve been working with InLinkz to solve the problem of linking up & I just accomplished overcoming the problem (with their advice)…Yay…thankyou for your kindness during this time. 😀
It needed a change in browser, apparently my tablet isn’t so old after all.
blesssings,
Jennifer
I am so glad you were able to figure it out. I am glad I could help in the meantime. Maree
My second daughter is a CPA Maree! How wonderful that you saw God’s hand in your change of seasons! I too had that when I had finished pre med at Uni & was about to start medical school when God closed that door shut tight & opened the door wide to psychology & counseling! There was some initial disappointment but I could see God’s hand in it so here I am!
I seem to come to the table late each week now with the time difference & our daylight savings :-/ . My post this week is ‘From here to Kingdom come’ https://teawithjennifer.blog/2021/01/15/kingdom/
Blessings,
Jennifer
Jennifer,
Ahh, thank you for sharing about your daughter being a CPA. It is fun to know. You sure did have a change in your dreams, and I have no doubt you landed right where God wanted you. I bet you are a ray of sunshine in the lives of many.
Yes, you do get here a little later than others with your post, and then you have had to rely on me to see it promptly. The good news all posts are sorted randomly. I am so glad you were able to get it straightened out. I see you linked your article. Maree
Dear Maree Dee, thank you for your words of encouragement! Sometimes I forget how creative God is; He never runs out of ideas to engage or enthrall us, does He? Spending time in Romans this season, I journaled this a.m. about 5:5. If our hope is truly, singularly in Him, especially when our dreams hit the rocks, we will never be disappointed. Thank you for the affirmation that “our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’s blood and righteousness”. Blessings!
Alice, Wow, thank you for sharing your journaling this morning. God is so good. By the way, you are not alone. I forget how creative God is at times. He never ceases to amaze me. Maree
What a good reminder – when our dream doesn’t work out, we need to remember it was my dream that didn’t work out, not God’s. He still holds the plan! So encouraging to read today.
Joanne, I love what you said, “He still holds the plan! Thank you for adding to our conversation. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. Maree
That’s a comfort when a dream or plan doesn’t work out–the reminder that God has another plan. Sometimes it takes the feelings a while to catch up to the truth we know in our minds, but setting out hearts to seek out the new dream He has for us helps. It also helps to think of all the people in the Bible who ended up doing something different from what they were at first.
Barbara, Yes, you are so right. It does help to think of people in the Bible. I am so glad you added that to our conversation.