If You Can’t Stop Dreaming of “Some Day”

What do you remember about being five years old?

When I was five, I dreamed of being ten. Ten was such an old, mature age in my wide, childish eyes. And then the years passed, and I turned ten. And after a few months, I couldn’t wait to be twelve, then sixteen, then eighteen.

Now I’m eighteen, and you know what? On my eighteenth birthday, I was still the same person. My life didn’t suddenly get perfect. I don’t look like the supermodel version of myself that I’d pictured all those years ago. All my dreams have not come true. All the stress and strain of life didn’t magically get left behind on the elementary school playground.

I’m not saying I’ve never been content with my age, but it does bring an interesting thought to the surface: What are you waiting for?

All my life, I’ve been waiting for the next thing. I set my hopes on things in the future instead of taking full advantage of where I am right now. I look back and wonder, Did I miss opportunities to serve, minister, and grow in Jesus because I was busy dreaming about when my life would really begin—when I graduated or got married or had kids?

I am sure I did.

What Are We We Waiting For?

Are you waiting for the next thing?
Are you missing out on the opportunities now and instead getting caught up in the someday?

As young women, it’s easy to get caught up in the lie that life will begin when _________ happens. Is it marriage or having a family of your own? Maybe a successful career. Finally being able to decorate your own apartment or some freedom from your parents and siblings.

Whatever it is, the myth that “life will begin when ______ happens,” has a big ol’ hole in it. Think about it. Time will pass. You may get married, get the dream job, or decorate your own Pinterest worthy space. And then what are you waiting for? The idea that we had put all our hopes in, the one event that we thought would make our lives begin, comes and goes. And there we are, left hanging in midair, our parachute flying away without us.

I’m not encouraging you to ignore the future. Actually, Proverbs 31 tells us that the wise woman “laughs at the time to come.” She can look ahead to her future with a smile, not because she thinks she will “arrive.” She is prepared for the future, making decisions in the present that will benefit her down the road. She doesn’t fear the future because she is focused on the present. How can we make wise decisions about how to spend our time and draw closer to Jesus if our minds are always fixated on the future?

Three Ways to Adjust Your Perspective

How do we keep our minds from jumping ahead and allowing our hopes and identities to be set on future events? Let’s look at three different ways to adjust our perspective.

1. Focus on turning outward and serving others.

When we’re busy thinking about how we can help the people around us right now, our minds can’t be focused on “one day.”

Instead, “through love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13). Start right now.

2. Remind yourself that you are where you are for a purpose.

If God wanted you married or dating, that’s where you’d be. He is in control of everything, including the timeline of your life. He has a perfect plan for your life.

In other words, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1:7).

3. Go the extra mile to make a difference in the world around you.

Whether it’s helping your mom in the kitchen or volunteering at church, you have the opportunity to make a difference every day, not just “some day.”

Take advantage of every opportunity because these are evil times (Eph. 5:16 CEB).

Seize this moment to live like Christ. It will be gone soon and you can’t go back and serve more, love better, reclaim this moment to talk about Jesus.

Have you been tempted to look only to the future for fulfillment, instead of making a difference in the now? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

PS: If you find yourself looking to your future marriage to make you feel loved, don’t miss tomorrow’s post, “Better Than Boy Meets Girl.”

This article originally appeared on Revive Our Hearts and LiesYoungWomenBelieve.com. Used with permission. 

As a Jesus-follower, blog-loving writer, and coffee-drinker, Liza Proch is constantly looking for new ways to inspire and encourage other young women in their walk with Christ. She recently launched a hand lettering company and blog of her own (BriarberryType.com), and lives in the sunny hill country of Texas where she's in a band with her three brothers.

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