Dream Big... But Start Small

​By Joe Friszolowski

​Have you ever stopped dreaming?

​Last week, we talked about communicating with people instead of simply speaking at them. This week, I want to encourage you to dream again. Because before we can dream big, most of us need permission to believe that tomorrow can be different from today.

One of our values here at Mercy Drops is Dream Big.
I love that one.
But here's something I've learned over the years...
Most people don't need permission to dream big.
They need permission to dream.
Life has a way of convincing us to stop.
Maybe we've been disappointed.
Maybe we've failed.
​Maybe life has just been...hard.
Maybe we've hoped for something before, and it didn't work out.
So eventually we quit hoping.
We quit expecting.
We quit dreaming.
And I think that's a shame.
Because I don't believe that's how we're meant to live.

​Start with What's Right in Front of You

When we spend time with our friends here in Portsmouth who are experiencing homelessness, I don't tell them to dream about owning a house.
Not yet.
I tell them to dream for a bottle of water.
Dream for a meal.
Dream for a clean set of clothes.
Some people hear that and think, "That's not much of a dream."
Maybe not.
But here's what happens.
When that bottle of water shows up...
When someone hands them the clothes they were praying for...
Something changes.
They start to think...
"Wait a second...maybe dreams really do come true."
That's where it starts.
Not with the biggest dream.
With the next one.

​"Yeah...But What If It Doesn't Happen?"

That's probably what some of you are thinking right now.
"What if I dream...and it doesn't work out?"
That's a fair question.
The truth is...
Sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes life goes in a different direction than we expected.
I've lived long enough to know that.
But does that mean we stop dreaming?
I don't think so.
Because if we stop dreaming, we've already decided tomorrow can't be any better than today.
And I don't want to live like that.
I'd rather keep believing.
I'd rather keep hoping.
I'd rather leave room for God to surprise me.

Keep Dreaming

Maybe your dream isn't a house.
Maybe it's healing in your family.
Maybe it's getting sober.
Maybe it's finding purpose again.
Maybe it's starting over after life knocked you down.
Whatever it is...
Don't let the size of the dream keep you from taking the first step.
Dream for the next thing.
Then the next thing.
Then the next.
One day you'll look back and realize those little dreams were leading you somewhere all along.

“Before most people can dream big, they first need permission to dream.”

— Joe Friszolowski

This week's challenge:

What's one thing you've stopped believing could happen?

Take one step toward it this week.

That's enough.

keep dreaming.

​Thanks for spending a few minutes with me this week.