A dream come true

In 1996 I signed up for my very first Ladies Bible study. I was a new mom, a weak Christian, and an ignorant student of the Word. I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this class, but I trudged ahead, anxious to see what would happen.

We were working through Kay Arthur's book Lord, Only You Can Change Me, a study on the Beatitudes. It was the first time in my life that I had ever really studied the Bible for myself and it struck a chord in me like nothing ever had before. I couldn't wait to do my homework every day and I longed for the class each week. Opening my Bible and learning it for myself transformed me. It was then and there that I became a fan of Kay Arthur and her ministry.

Over the next few years I would do several more Kay Arthur studies, as well as become acquainted with Beth Moore and Community Bible Studies International, that would deepen my walk with God and create a hunger for His Word that is still insatiable today. I fell in love with the Inductive Bible Study method and faithfully followed Kay's teachings through TV, Bible studies and radio. Occasionally I would check her website to see what was new to study, and during one of those times, I discovered a dream.

I can't remember exactly how I found it, but as I was searching through the Precepts website, I saw that she offered tours to different countries to study the Bible in the places that they were written to (for example, studying the book of Ephesians in Ephesus). For me, that type of experience would be a dream! However, being a stay-at-home mom of very young children, I had to push that dream to the back of my heart and hope that one day God would fulfill it when the time was right.

Fast forward 10 years or so, to the Spring of 2009. I was browsing through the Precept website, again, and I saw that Kay Arthur was doing a Bible Study tour to Greece in September 2009. I'm sure you can imagine the blood pumping through my veins at that revelation! Living in Germany, Greece is a rock's throw away. What would be the chances that I could finally fulfill the dream that had been hidden away for a decade? I decided to pray about it. God would have to orchestrate all the details AND provide the necessary funds. I knew that the reality of it wasn't completely impossible, but I wasn't sure if it was the right time for me or part of God's plan. So I prayed. And prayed. And prayed.

By late summer 2009 I knew that the clock was ticking, yet I still didn't feel like I had a definite answer to my prayers. There were a few things that were falling into place: I had Clint's approval and support, the timing would work out well for school and Fall break, and there was still an available spot for me on the trip. Of course, the only thing that hadn't arrived was the money I needed to pay for the trip. I knew that without that part of the deal, I couldn't go. Although we had the money in savings, I couldn't justify spending a large chunk of it on myself. So I decided to wait a little while longer before tucking my dream back into the recesses of my heart for another time.

During my wait, I was blessed to have breakfast with a very dear friend. As we talked about the tough year I was having with my most recent move, she said I needed a vacation by myself. I agreed and told her that I had one in mind, and would love for her to pray with me about it. After giving her the basic run-down and the hope of a financial windfall, she boldly told me that I needed to step out in faith and sign up. She reminded me that even if I had to dip into our savings that God would take care of us financially and that I needed to trust Him with our resources. Listening to her, I knew she was right. So later that day, I wrote an email to Precept Ministries and registered for my dream! After all these years I would finally see what had been stored away come to fruition. It was too amazing for words!

Fast forward a few weeks later. We had come home from our time in the States and I was already starting to count down the weeks I had left until my trip, when Clint called me one day from work with a surprise. He had just received an email from our tax consultants that we were receiving a tax refund -- a shock to say the least! But what was even more shocking was the amount. It was EXACTLY the amount I needed for to pay for the trip, plus a few dollars more to cover my flight to Greece! I knew then and there that God was providing the last piece of the dream with an unexpected gift. Again, it was too amazing for words!

So in one week I will board a plane to Greece and spend 10 days with Kay Arthur touring around and learning about various books of the Bible. I'm thrilled beyond measure and can't believe that a dream I had held so closely for so long is finally coming true. But then God is the dream-giver and the dream-filler, so why shouldn't I believe? I can't wait to see what He has in store for me there. He has blessed me beyond my wildest expectations and I can only pray that WHATEVER comes of this trip, that it will only bring Him glory and honor.

Please know that I am not writing this post to boast in any way. I am writing it, in hopes of encouraging you. Do you have a dream stowed in the depths of your heart that you're waiting on God to fulfill? Know that He can, and that when and if the time is right, He will! Just as He did for me, He can do for you. Believe it, hope for it, wait on it because...dreams do come true.

"Now to Him Who, by the (action of His) power that is at work within us, is able to (carry out His purpose and) do super-abundantly, far over and above all that we (dare) ask or think (infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams) - to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21 Amplified Bible