When midlife comes along it is time to
awaken the dreams in us that have nearly diedAnd the vision has wings of wisdom now
No more excuses for why dreams can’t be tried
It is time, now or never
Dreams, if not lived soon will die
Dreams, if not tried on now, will fall apart like beautiful clothes left too long in a rotting attic
Blessed be the One who keeps on believing in
us
And blessed be the One who goes on dreaming
in us, even when we forget. Joyce Rupp
This poem was
written by one of my favourite writers. Joyce was inspired to write
it after seeing The Secret Garden, a film about adventure filled children
discovering a hidden, walled garden, thick with trees and overgrown with wild
vegetation. The children find a lost boy and bring him back to a healthy life.
They restore the garden to its former glory, weeding neglected garden beds and
planting new flower seeds, until in the Spring the garden comes alive with
beauty.
Joyce writes
about the way this film made her look at her own childhood dreams; dreams that had
been buried, neglected and needed attention. It gave her hope and courage to
continue her life story of transformation, to believe there were still beautiful parts of
herself that could germinate, blossom and come to fruition.
I find this
story really encouraging. No matter how old we are, what stage of life we are
at, there is always more hidden beneath the surface, often overgrown with weeds
of lethargy or distraction or loss of hope. God always has more for us, always
wants to bless us, bless others through us, and bring us to the abundance of
life that He planned for us.
What an exciting adventure! It inspires me to
wake to each new day with a sense of anticipation and wonder. On the days when
I feel overgrown with weeds I like to think of the image of wide-eyed,
exuberant children, uncovering secret beauty, planting new seeds with hope and
faith. Such an image helps me believe in the dreams God planted in me long ago, and assures me that there is still time for blessing and beauty in my life.
How wonderful
to have written a story that inspires such hope and motivation for life! A
wonderful goal for any writer!
Carol
Preston
Carol writes historical novels based on her family ancestry
in Australia from the First Fleet. They include the Turning the Tide series;
Mary’s Guardian, Charlotte’s Angel, Tangled Secrets and Truly Free. Her earlier
novels, Suzannah’s Gold and its sequel, Rebecca's Dream, have been re-released by EBP. You can see more about Carol and
her novels on her website www.carolpreston.com.au
www.facebook.com/writingtoreach
