Dear Dreamer,

Once upon a time I thought I was living my dream:

Married  

Two beautiful children  

Successful career 

Everything was going according to plan. My plan.

So when my husband left our family, I felt like he took my identity and my dreams with him. It was never part of my dream to be a divorced single mom. And I didn’t know how to live that life. 

I quickly found myself walking around grieving the person I had dreamed I would become. I withdrew from my friends and family and from my relationship with God. I was devastated, angry and confused.

Thankfully, God never gave up on me! He had a plan to help me find my true identity in Him. 

While, yes, there was pain, hurt and bitterness, over time it changed to something different. I began to notice God placing women across my path who needed to hear my story about the work He was doing in my life. Women facing similar situations. One woman literally knocked on my front door and asked if she could “just talk.” 

I didn’t want to share at first. I didn’t want to keep talking about pain and anger. But I discovered that I was able to listen to other women’s stories and then say, “Yes, I’ve been there, too. And let me tell you how Jesus helped me and gave me a new identity when I didn’t know who I was or what I was going to do.” I could share parts of my story from a place of empathy.

It took some time for this new song from God to take root in my heart, for His sweet song of redemption and grace to replace the pain and bitterness I had been feeling. The scars remained, and they are still there today, but the work He continues to do in and through me helps me want to hear from and share with others.

Dreamer, I want to encourage you to give Jesus whatever pain, disappointment or hurt you have. I promise you He will give you His love and grace in return just like He gave to me. And you will soon be singing your own new song just like David wrote about in Psalm 40:3. Sing that song with all you have! Rediscover the dream of you, and then live it out for all the world to see, that others may be drawn to Him as well. Amen!

Love,
Alicia