What happens when all your dreams come true?

Back in December 2011, I was there. I had a dream family: an amazing husband and the three best kids on the planet. I had my dream job: teaching English at a Christian school.  I even got a dream role in a mega-production at my mega-church. AND my first book was about to hit bookstores. Life was going so well, I could barely even wrap my mind around it all. I remember sitting in a fancy salon (getting my hair done for the mega-production) after a great day teaching, surrounded by my kids, getting emails about writing guest blogs to promote my first book, and thinking, Life will never get better than it is right now. *happy sigh*

Then I thought, Life will never get better than it is right now. *not-so-happy sigh.* I was 36, and all my dreams had come true. This was it. I still had some hopes, like going to England and having millions of people read my books (neither of those have happened, yet). But the “biggies” were done. Check.

Now what?

No, nothing tragic happened. No “Downton Abbey”-esque ending (I am still upset about Season 3!!). Life just went on. As usual. I came down off the “dream high” and returned to reality: to laundry and dirty dishes and papers to grade and deadlines to meet.

And you know what? That was all right. Because this life isn’t about getting what we want or even working towards getting what we want. In fact, when “Making our dreams come true” becomes the focus of our lives, we become miserable. Why? Because God didn’t design us to be “Dream Followers.” He made us to be Christ followers. And when we are focused on Him, we can enjoy the good when it comes and we can deal with the bad when faced with that. We can say, with Paul, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” ~Phil. 4:12-13