“We can never give up longing and wishing while we are still alive.
There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good,
and we must hunger for them.” T. S. Eliot
{my images are free goodies for you to enjoy & share.}
You know that dream you left behind?
The one that you might have once carried and gave you a light inside?
Maybe it was a dream that just an idea. But, you never got a chance to explore what that dream could look like with Jesus.
Maybe like me, you had a dream, but it died. You were never given permission to discover the soulful rest of just being you. Or maybe like me, you never gave yourself the permission to to explore who God created you to be.
When we don’t make space to nurture our God-given dreams, we lose pieces of ourselves along the way. But Spiritual Whitespace is about taking time to nurture the creative you God made. To hear God whisper: I see the dreams you’ve left behind. I haven’t forgotten them. I haven’t forgotten you.
In our Online Spiritual Whitespace Book Club this week, we’ve reached chapters 18-19 in my book Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest that talks about making rest a new journey with God to be vulnerable with our hearts with Him, instead of living torn and conflicted.
I share heart-breaking moments my dreams were destroyed and beautiful moments how God re-wrote them back alive in me. I hope you get a copy of my book to explore the details of what this can mean for you.
Here below is an excerpt from Finding Spiritual Whitespace where I talk about finding rest by making space to nurture you and your God-given dreams.
Deep Waters
As I bitterly cried, I remembered what Jesus said to Peter.
Put out into the deep water, and let down your nets for a catch. (Luke 5: 4)
Where are your deep waters, friend? Are you empty of dreams? Behind every pain lies a lost dream. Perhaps, like me, you’ve made a choice at some point to forget. You’ve tried to shield yourself from that loss by submerging your dreams.
It’s too late, you tell yourself. It’s been too long. Another lifetime ago.
You’ve moved on and gained strength by helping others.
But Jesus sees the nets you’ve left. Jesus sees how you’ve washed them clean and dragged your boat back onto the shore.
He feels the ache inside that comes from having no catch. He knows your soul has grown hungry. He sees you are too tired to go back out.
Yet Jesus stands on the shore at the break of dawn. He calls to you and me.
“Cast the net on the [other] side of the boat and you will find a catch” (John 21:6).
Jesus sees the empty nets.
Put out where it is deeper and let down your nets.
It’s not too late. To come as you are.
Not Too Late
Remember the dreams he’s placed in you. Take the time to go where the water runs deep. Go where you don’t usually wander.
Wade where Jesus is still creating in you. Choose creative whitespace.
Choose to feel and seek beauty. Travel to distant lands of discovery—art, music, writing, painting, photography, baking, cooking, gardening, decorating, script writing, singing, beading, sewing, crafting—whatever moves you closer to who God made you.
It’s not too late to rest in creative whitespace.
You are the creative imprint of your Heavenly Father. You are like him and he is like you.
God rests, not because it’s a rule. God rests because he loves making beautiful things. He loves making them come alive through you at rest.
Jesus wants to meet you in the intimate whitespace of restoring creativity.
Sometimes we can guard our hearts so capably and well it takes the tenderness of pain to awaken them back to life.
So they can say yes to God again and let him back in.
Will you let God back into your heart, so you can both rediscover the dreams He’s prompting in you?
[Word Croissant]
Fan into flame the gift of God which is in you . . . for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Tim. 1:6–7 ESV)
[Pull Up a Chair—Share]
What have you left? What is your empty boat?
How is God calling you back?
** Who can you share today’s encouragement with? **
[A Whitespace Prompt—Try This]
Enjoying God naturally. When you were a little girl, what did you enjoy doing? What came naturally to you?
Enjoying God in inspiring places. Where are places that inspire the artistic you? Outdoors near the beach or mountains? Indoors in front of an easel or a desk? Maybe it’s experiential, clicking behind a camera lens, walking through an art gallery, listening to live music, or observing life from a chair at a café? Is it through learning, taking a class you’ve always wanted to explore?
[A Soul Conversation—Confide in Him]
Is there a dream you left behind in the hallway of life?
How did you make the decision—whose voice did you listen to?
Share you feelings with God. Confide in him.
Pull up a chair. Click to comment.
What have you discovered about the dreams you’ve left behind or the ones God’s prompting in you now?
Beloved Brew Link Up
Whole-hearted Writing. You & Jesus.
Welcome to our Beloved Brews weekly link-up! Pour out a little love with your words every Thursday {publish any day. link-up on Thursdays}. Simply write a blog post from your heart about what God’s sharing with you and then share it here. Don’t have a blog? Share a comment. Visit thebonniegray.com to read the comments & share your voice too.
Optional Writing prompt: {write a blog post from your heart about what God’s sharing with you} or {share your thoughts about the dreams you’ve left behind or share the dreams God’s prompting in you now}
Please use the Beloved Brews button in your blog post so others can join in with us {use this html code here}. When you link up your post, read & leave an encouraging comment on the post linked up just before yours. Thank you!
14 Comments
Oh Bonnie, your words today ring so true for me – especially where you say… “Or maybe like me, you never gave yourself the permission to to explore who God created you to be.” I don’t think I was ever really given the opportunity to dream, to explore who God created me to be, or to express my God-given creativity. There was too much emphasis on walking the straight line and following rules. My focus was on trying to be invisible and to avoid sparking my father’s anger. I have spent so much effort in my life building walls of self-protection to keep myself from being hurt. I feel like God is just now beginning the process of helping me to find freedom, discover who He created me to be, and to dream God-sized dreams about what good things He has in store for me.
Thank you so much for blessing me with your words today,
Kamea
Bonnie, like Holley Gerth, you are an author that really speaks to my heart. You write with such a gently & transparent spirit.
I am in my eighties & have grown children & grandchildren & great grandchildren. I used to write children’s poetry & have long dreamed of being a writer of short stories that emphasize scripture.
Your article has encouraged me to start a BLOG!
that’s soul wonderful, Wini! sounds soul beautiful. it’s never too late. be the beloved! God’s beloved.
Thank you for such sweet encouragement today, Bonnie, especially the Word Croissant: “Fan into flame the gift of God which is in you.” I’ve returned to writing after years of raising a family and teaching elementary school. ‘So appreciate your reassurance: to remember the dream God has placed within me, and to rest assured it’s not too late. I recently came across a similar statement from C. S. Lewis: “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Praise God we can remain useful into old age!
I’m just finishing up a short series on this same passage in Luke. Loved seeing similar but different threads in your post that continues to expand what God has been speaking into my life through this challenge to cast our nets again in the deep with Christ.
Ginger, it’s wonderful how Jesus leads us through the same passage in Luke… and we can hear same echoes of what God is saying… keep casting your nets into the deep.. and blessings as you find new catch, friend! 🙂 #kindreds
This is just awesome! I stepped out and did something yesterday that I’ve always dreamed of doing. It might not sound that spectacular to everyone else but to me, it was bliss! I actually wrote my blog post about it! I’ve always wanted to go sit (by myself) at my favorite coffee house and write. I sat for over two hours solid with coffee and scone. I wrote my little heart out with absolutely no interruptions!
Your posts always encourage me and this one especially makes me want to explore those things that I’ve wanted to pursue but never did. It’s time to cast my net on the other side! 😉
(((HUGS))) to you kindred friend!
I’ve been so very busy lately Bonnie. I can’t believe I’m writing that as I so want to be still. I need my spiritual whitespace. You helped me to remember the dreams God has placed within my heart. I’m so grateful for that. I finally took a few paid leave days from work and I’m still in my pj’s. But I needed a day of rest. I needed a day to write. I needed a day to spend more time with the Lord. And I have to say …it feels so good.
Love you Bonnie,
Debbie
For the first time in what seems to be months, I crawled into my bed for a restorative nap. I was home alone, nowhere to go, and no energy to do anything. It was cold today, the sun barely making an effort. I settled under the comforter, then prayed for my Comforter to come along side me. Tears welled, but never escaped. I just needed to shut out the rest of the world.
The past few months have been a time of change; a move, downsizing, letting go. Letting go of things I had once felt I needed, but realize now what a burden some of those things had become. This move required an epic excavation of precious, irreplaceable things, like family photos, my children’s art, many personal things that had been damaged due to exposure of water in the lower level of the house we had lived in for the past 5 years. It was so sad to see the mess. I puddled into the floor and wept. Then I resolved that with the help of my Helper, I would get through this. I was reminded of the scripture, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal (Matthew 6: 19.) Then I thought of countless other people who have lost far more than I have and I felt ashamed.
I have to ask…am I bound in this life to never have what I perceive as a “dream?” What is it that God wants me to do? See? I’m struggling with it all, but the whitespace is beginning to allow for questions… Please pray for me.
Beautiful, Bonnie. I am finding my deeper waters once again! Thank you!
Loved this! Quote: “When we don’t make space to nurture our God-given dreams, we lose pieces of ourselves along the way.” I’ve been there, friend! I finally decided that I was not going to let me dreams die, just because someone tried to kill them off or didn’t support them. God gave us dreams to give us hope!! Thanks for sharing and for hosting Beloved Brews link-up!!
Bonnie, I am a longtime shy but blessed reader, and tonight I just had to chime in. I needed your words, combined with that T.S. Eliot quote, at a level I can only describe as miraculous. Thank you for being an instrument of our beautiful, astounding King. XO
sweet angie, it means so much to hear your voice and to know how this has spoken to you. it’s kinship of the Spirit and the heart on this journey. and i’m thankful for your words. 🙂
Dear Bonnie,
Once again your words have blessed me with encouragement. “He sees the empty nets”…yes…of course! He knows my dreams and doesn’t want me to give up on them. Recently I’ve been reflecting on Psalm 46:10… BE STILL and know that I am God. So I am listening in my stillness I am nurturing my creative whitespace.