Chase Your Dream.

Walt Disney coined the iconic phrase “if you wish upon a star,” written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for his animated classic Pinocchio.  The famous line and song title went on to champion the heart of Disney, often as the signature song of the company and the opening for many of the Disney films. For the most part, the child in us believed it.  It really doesn’t make a “difference who we are,” does it?  There is something inside of us that innately craves to believe the Pinocchio song; even the most obscure dreams are possible despite what the world says. 

The problem, is that the child inside of us does not stay young forever; one day we grow older.  On that day, when opposition and resistance stand in the way of our dreams, we believe what the world tells us.  Do we not?  The young girl who dreamed big of growing up to be a doctor gets slapped with the reality that one must first get accepted to med school and then find a way to afford years of tuition bills.  The boy who wanted to be an Air Force pilot, dreaming to fly like the movies portray, now realizes that his eyesight is too poor to make it to that big dance.  And somewhere in between those two scenarios are you and I, our dreams, our desires, and the plans that God has destined for us.

As adults, after having our dreams fade into wallflowers, we become jaded, and ponder a very curious thought:

Why was that sparkle of a dream there in the first place?

Is there a reason?

If it “makes no difference who you are,” why are we not able to accomplish the sparkle of dreams that God himself has put inside us?

Sometimes the easiest way to answer a question like that is to suggest our own testimony.  After all, actions speak louder than words, don’t they?

I’ve had many dreams in life.  One, was the long-standing dream of writing a book.  For 20 years the thought rolled ‘round my brain.  Days and nights would go by when ideas would pop into my head.  Some, I’d write down.  Pre-accident, I’d be at work, minding my own business, doing my job, when a creative thought would nearly burst the confines of my mind.  I’d jot some notes down on my phone while driving a tractor, out farming the fields.  Capturing creative thoughts, sometimes I’d be in the oddest places, like a silo, making voice recordings so I wouldn’t forget the brainwaves that just ran through my mind. 

And the years passed by . . . years of not writing a book. 

Does it make a difference who you are?

For me, my journey was unconventional.  It took a literal “hit on the head” to convince me that God wanted Chuck Carr to follow through on a heart’s desire and write books.  The dream was there.  So was the drive.  But who was I to think that I could write a book?  Wasn’t that a dream for authors on the shelves at Barns & Noble? 

But me?  An author?  Who was I kidding?

The dream kept twinkling though.  It was sparkling.  I could see it shining.  I wanted it.

After all, doesn’t God want us to dream?

As condensed as I can put it, I believe that when we are in tune with God, as a follower of Jesus, our dreams and God’s dreams become one.  When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and our old desires become exchanged with new ones.  When our hearts are right and we ask out of good motives (James 4:3), God is happy to give us the good things that further us in growth toward him.  The book of Psalms says it clearly in chapter 37 verses 4-5:

Delight thyself also in the Lord;

and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Commit thy way unto the Lord;

trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Does God want us to dream?  Absolutely!  Those of us that are plugged into Jesus are not only given the freedom to pursue dreams but are encouraged to do so.  God wants you to achieve the good desires that are in your heart.  Why?  Because he’s the one that put them inside of you to begin with!  Essentially, when we are in that sweet spot of relation with Jesus, we know our dreams and desires are from him.

In 2019, I decided to look deeper into that sparkly dream of writing.  Though I had no idea what it entailed, I embarked on the journey to write my first book and published The Convergence shortly after.  Since then, it has been an adventure.  I’d like to share a recent event.

Since deciding to write (and because of the pandemic), all my writing instruction has been online.  I’ve been wanting to attend a writing conference in person for quite a while.  When things opened up, I was excited beyond measure to book my first in-person writing conference at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in the gorgeous mountains of North Carolina.   Again, it was a dream.  I met some great people.  I attended top-notch classes by brilliant instructors.  The level of professional training by the faculty was above anything I could have expected.  Not only did they teach writing, but they assisted the writer, training us how to deal with things like rejection, criticism, and other difficulties authors face, all from a Christian world view.  I gained so much from the the sessions, feeling like a man on a mission when the conference came to a close.

My last stop?  The top of the mountain.  I had one thing I needed to do.

There’s something about being at the top of mountains.  For thousands of years people have gone there when they needed to meet God.  This stop, at an impressive altitude for the Appalachia’s, was no disappointment.  There, I renewed a commitment to do what I’ve been called to do.  As God wowed me with his creative power, I took it all in, confessing that I would focus my energy and continue the desire that he put in my heart. I would write. I would continue the dream birthed in me.

Sparkly?  Yes.  Shiny?  Absolutely.  But regardless of what my dream looks like, I know that it was one that the Lord put inside me.  He started it. He gave it flight. Where it will go?  I’m not sure.  But I do know that I’m right where I’m supposed to be, because God put the desire inside me and all I’m doing is acting upon it. 

And now, I come to the most important part of this post. 

I said all that to tell you this:

It is the same for you as well.

I challenge you with a pivotal question: Are there things inside your heart that you’ve been carrying for years?  Things that if you were honest, you’d say are good desires, maybe even admirable desires, yet desires you feel too timid, afraid, or unqualified to expose?  Has your desire taken the shape of a dream?  Is it beautiful, but you don’t know what to do with it?

Maybe you don’t have the desire to write a book, but you feel close to God when you cook, and you’ve felt the tug on your heart to start passing out cookies to those in your neighborhood who could use a pick-me-up.  You never know what a smile and treat can do when it accompanies the Good News.  Maybe you have the passion to . . . well, you know what?  I’m not offering any more suggestions.  The list is endless. To offer a list of suggestions would only cap the endless potential God’s people possess, a potential empowered by their Creator.  Simply put, there is no limit to God’s creativity and no limit to what he can do with the desires already placed inside your heart. Besides, you already know what desire God put inside you. It’s already there. You can feel it pulling at you right now.

The only condition?  We must act on these dreams and desires.  Acting is key.  Think of my situation.  If I would have been too afraid of what others might say or think, and would have never started to write, nobody would have ever received the messages contained in The Convergence or any of my other books.  I’m not perfect.  It’s ok if you aren’t either.  The great news is that we don’t have to be perfect.  God uses imperfect people to change the world all the time. If we wait until we are perfect nothing will ever get done.  Start doing.  Act.  Write that book. Do that thing. Live that dream.

Yes, you can take a class to improve your skills.  Just like attending my writing conference, there is always room to learn more.  But do so after you’ve already started the journey.  First, move your feet and take that initial step.  The important part is that we are doing what we are called to do.  Make that choice.  Does it matter “who you are” if God is the one behind you?  God’s dreams were put inside of you for a reason.  Acting on that dream will bring you to a level of satisfaction in life like no other.  You’ll be living that dream.  You’ll be doing what God desired for you to do.

Otherwise, all we are doing is wishing upon a star.

And wishes, by themselves, don’t do much.

By Chuck Carr.

I’d love to hear your story. Comment below and let me know what dream God has placed inside your heart. It can be anything and everything. Can’t wait for you to take that first step! God bless.