Around the days of my twenty-fifth birthday, I was feeling pretty broken. Deep inside my self, a multitude of things were being uprooted and healed and dusted off. And this was exhasuting.
I remember saying to my flatmates, Jane and Rachel, “I need you to help me dream again.” I said it through tears, not quite knowing what I was asking. They heard me, as good friends do, and they made the translation.
For my birthday, Jane helped gather dreams for me from the four-corners of the earth–sneakily emailing mentors and friends from years past, and my community near, too. She and Rachel put all the Dreams together for me in a colourful book, and presented it to me on my birthday. Those collective dreams from my community massaged my spirit into life, again. And these pages sit on my lap as an Ebeneezer-type reminder, today.
Dear Barbara Leite’s dreams for me were a most vivid conclusion:
My prayer is that you’d grasp this vision about yourself. You are not what others say you are… You are not what you think you are, either. All you might think or we might say will only be a glimpse of who you really are. You are not what you can see today. You are what you are yet to become. We are God’s children; What we shall be has not yet been disclosed, but we know that when Christ appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. As He is pure, everyone who has grasped this hope makes himself pure. 1 john 3: 2,3
Dream High…’cause higher are the dreams of God for you.
Oh Jenelle. Thanks for all these memories.
this one really spoke to my heart. thank you for remembering, and in doing so, encouraging.
i love you nelly.
Despite that difficult period, you dreamed for me that summer. I will remember it fondly.
Isn’t it amazing that often God can give so richly to others out of our brokenness? He gave to me such riches through you.