When Life is Less Than You Dreamed

Do you ever feel like your life is less than you dreamed? Are there some dreams you had for this time of your life that are just not a reality right now? I can definitely think of a few for myself. Can you remember a time in your life—and maybe that time is now—where the dreams you had and the reality of life ran into each other and they hated each other?

I remember a time in the 8th grace when that happened. I had my first boyfriend. His name was Mark. To me things were spectacular. As I was hopping into my mom’s car after school, Mark handed me a note. I thought that was so sweet that he wrote me a note! It happened to be April Fools Day that day. As I read the note, I realized that he was breaking up with me...on April Fools Day! Only, it wasn’t a joke. He really did break up with me! Reality showed up and kicked my butt.

I think the times in life when we experience hurt are those times—when we realize life is less than we dreamed it would be. What do you do when life is less than you dreamed? If you have time, read Matthew 26:36-46. It’s about Jesus and how he handled the fact that he was about to die.

There are two things that Jesus did in this passage. He verbalized his pain to his friends. He wanted the support of his friends. Then, he verbalized his pain to God. Most people don’t do heart-work with God. We say nice things to God and even about God, but there is so much pain and rage towards God that we are too terrified to admit it out loud. Instead, we pretend that we are not hurt and angry towards God. And someone invites you to church and you don’t want to go—or you go to church and the people around you are worshipping and you can’t be intimate with God because you have so much displeasure towards him that you never got out.

When you speak honestly to God, receive what he offers you in return--love and acceptance.

You are loved,
Sarah Bragg