The benefit of dreaming small.

What if this little exercise could not only unlock something in the future, but unlock peace right now?

I’ve been a little on edge lately. I’ve found myself more bogged down by circumstances. Annoyed. Frustrated. Bothered by the little things, and then frustrated that I’m bothered at the little things.

Ever get in one of those ruts?

If so, I want to give you a little exercise to help you. I did it this morning, and while it is no magic pill, what it did for me is priceless. I’ll sum up the exercise like this: dream small. Yes, dream small. If you’re interested, then give me a few minutes to explain.

Yesterday, we trudged through the Texas heat for my son’s first baseball practice of the season. High temperatures skyrocketed to near 105 degrees, with a heat index pushing 110 degrees. As if that wasn’t enough, during the practice I got an email about a project that wasn’t the greatest.

Needless to say, by the end of the night I was hot, dripping, and agitated. My attitude showed it. I called it a night early and went to sleep praying for a better morning.

When the morning came, it did bring some relief. Even a slight perspective change. “We’re just going to have to keep trusting the Lord,” I told my wife, really just trying to reassure myself more than anything.

But viewing the circumstances differently doesn’t necessarily change them, even if it changes you. That may not be romantic, but it’s true.

So as I made the trek to a local coffee shop this morning, there were still remnants of the angst that’s been bouncing around inside of me. In response, I did what I do most mornings: I took out my journal and started writing about it.

While I was hoping for something profound, maybe even a word of comfort from God, I didn’t get it. Instead, God told me something kind of odd: “Return to the basics.”

“Return to the basics?” I asked him. “What does that mean?”

I wasn’t expecting the answer I got.

“Dream.”

“Really?” I thought.

But if I’ve learned anything over the last 13 months while pursuing God more faithfully and having him root things out like addiction in my life, it’s the importance of A) being curious, and B) writing (or speaking) the first thing he gives me. It’s simple, but not easy.

Then he reminded me of the dream. Not the type of dream that comes to you at night necessarily, but the type of dream that’s a burning desire. The (sometimes) crazy idea that you just can’t shake. That thing that aligns with your identity and who God created you to be. That dream. So here’s what I wrote down: