One of my dreams that is closest to my heart currently is to be a mentor, a leader, and an encourager to God’s people. I deeply desire to come along side women to disciple them, pray with them, and equip them so that they can step into their purpose in life; fully using their gifts and talents to pursue their God-given passion. This journey is not easy. It’s a life-long journey of ‘taking up our cross’ and entering into the unique purpose that God has for each of us.

Last Thursday I had the honor of doing a Facebook live video for Delight’s Facebook group for young female photographers.
This is the meat of the message that I felt God laid on my heart for them, and also for me to share with you today.

We all have dreams, especially aspiring entrepreneurs and creative types. We have wide-eyes to the possibility of a career doing something we love. We believe that we can accomplish almost anything with the right tools, resources, connections, and hard work. Then we hit a set back, or a difficult major event in our personal life, or we aren’t getting where we want to go as quickly as we want to get there. We begin to question if God actually knows our dreams or even cares. After all, many of us treat our work as our ministry. So why wouldn’t God bless us if we are trying to serve Him?

What if He simply wants us to pursue our dreams WITH Him instead of working FOR Him? What if that’s actually what ‘taking up our cross’ looks like? What if it actually looks like surrender? What if the life we find through surrendering is far more abundant than anything we could ask for or imagine?

When we open our hands and surrender our dreams to The Dreamer, we only lose what’s not eternal and not meant for us. In surrendering we receive abundant life; our offering multiplied, handed back to us with God’s breath of life breathed into it. Our dreams given eternal value for His Kingdom’s purpose.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.”  Matthew 16:24-27.

So this week, friend, wherever you are in pursuing your dreams, I pray that you hold your dreams loosely. Open your hands to our Good Father. Let what’s not meant for you, what’s not eternal, fall through your fingers to reveal the eternal purpose that God has for you. What’s revealed may just be the abundant life that your heart is longing for.

Did this post encourage you today? Share it on social media or text the link to a friend who could use this encouragement! Email me at Jenna@JennaShriverPhotography.com with prayer requests or to let me know if this message encouraged you today. I’d LOVE to invite you to sign up to receive my weekly encouraging emails. Join here!