What's An Impossible Dream In Your Life?

Melanie Howell   |   August 11, 2017 

Do you have an impossible dream in your life? Something you think would be amazing to accomplish, but is outside your grasp and seems unattainable? Let me tell you about one of my impossible dreams. And maybe I can inspire you to go after one of your own, seemingly impossible dreams, sooner rather than later.

A few years ago, I decided to do a sprint triathlon. I was about to exit my twenties and I wanted to do something completely outside my comfort zone to mark an end to that decade of my life. If you don’t know what a sprint triathlon is, let me tell you: it includes a 400 metre swim, a 21 km bike ride, and then a 5 km run to finish it off.

I sincerely believed in my heart that I couldn’t do it, since I didn’t even know how to swim, let alone swim 400 metres in one go. My best friend at the time had been praying for me, and she felt like God said if you are willing to put the work into this, I believe you can do it. She also asked me a question: "Imagine you are at the finish line, you have done it. Was it worth it? What will making this dream a reality mean for you?"

I said it would mean that I accomplished something that I believed was impossible for me to achieve. Imagining myself at the finish line was so outside of my reality at that time, it seemed like a fantasy. However, with the support of a lot of my close friends, and trusting that God believed I could do it if I made the effort, I decided to try. I signed up for the race right away, to make sure I was committed. I had four months to train for the race. Some friends supported me by signing up to do the race with me. One friend helped put my training plan on the calendar. Another helped me train so that I could get comfortable with my swimming. Others came out and practiced with me.

Even though I wasn’t anywhere near first, second or third place, I am proud to say that with the support of my friends and with God’s blessing, I successfully finished that triathlon. I realised then that I had been limiting myself based on my experiences of the past. God’s word says: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He also tells us to keeping pressing on. Our past doesn’t have to determine our future. Sometimes the limitations we put on ourselves are because of past experiences, or a lack of belief in God and our abilities. I certainly don’t want to live a life where I am stagnating and nothing is changing or growing. Even though living in my comfort zone is so easy!

One thing I learned during training for the race was the power of self-discipline. I didn’t feel like training every day. There were many reasons I could have given up. However, sticking to the schedule helped me achieve my goal. Many times when I was running and feeling exhausted I would picture myself running to the finish line on race day, and that gave me the energy to keep going. Also, having accountability and commitment to the goal, were the ultimate reasons I finished that race. It wasn’t easy but it was so worth it! It has also boosted my confidence to try other things that I thought were impossible for me, like learning to play the guitar or learning tennis. (Still working on these goals!)

 

What is an area of your life where you could use more of God’s strength? Is there an area of your life that is keeping you bound in shame from your past? Maybe it’s your career, your marriage, your self-image, your relationships. Let’s surrender those areas to the Lord together, and ask Him to help us do the impossible in those areas of our lives.

Take a few moments now and decide on your impossible dream. Pray about it, and get good counsel when talking to friends and family. If you still want to go forward, get a support system in place, get committed, and get started! I believe in you.

Photo Credit : Unsplash

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Melanie Howell

Melanie Howell lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She is on a quest to live the abundant life Jesus promises His brothers and sisters.

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