Before you write your response, I want you to do something. I want you to go outside. I’m not going to say for how long, because this isn’t something to check-off your list. I want you to go outside and just be for a little while. Be. Listen. Be. For this activity, I don’t want you to be with anyone. Be by yourself for a little while. Really allow yourself to BE with yourself (this may sound odd..but seriously, I want you to do this). And as you sit with yourself, I want you to ask yourself this question:
What is my dream? What is that one thing that makes me feel most alive––the most alive that I have ever been?
And I want you to be real honest with yourself. Don’t listen to the voices in your head..don’t listen to the pressure you feel from either yourself, your parents, your friends, or any other source. I want you to listen to your heart. To truly listen to your heart. And then after you have spent time with yourself...I want you to go back inside and write. Write about it. Write about your dreams, your fears. Write about whatever tugs at your heartstrings. Just write.
What is my dream? What is that one thing that makes me feel most alive––the most alive that I have ever been?
And I want you to be real honest with yourself. Don’t listen to the voices in your head..don’t listen to the pressure you feel from either yourself, your parents, your friends, or any other source. I want you to listen to your heart. To truly listen to your heart. And then after you have spent time with yourself...I want you to go back inside and write. Write about it. Write about your dreams, your fears. Write about whatever tugs at your heartstrings. Just write.
Inside this little girl lies a lot of dreams. The child sex trafficking and exploitation industry tugs at my heartstrings more than probably anything else ever could. This industry makes around $32 Billion annually. Many brothels have MENUS containing children’s pictures, a identification number (because the children no longer have a name when they are trafficked), and a list of what they will do and how much they will cost. It is disgusting. Purity is so incredibly valuable, and I can’t and don’t want to even begin to imagine having mine stolen from me, at any age. The fact that people make money every minute of every day by giving away what doesn’t belong to them makes me sick to my stomach. Two children are sold every minute. From the time my first class starts tomorrow to the time my last one ends, 840 children will be sold. These facts are the ones that break my heart. While statistics and numbers are dim and depressing, I know there is hope. God has given me a burden for these children, and my dream is to make a difference. Traveling also makes me feel alive. I have felt my purpose leaning increasingly toward missions lately, specifically in areas with high rates of sex trafficking, orphans, and people who won’t hear the Gospel otherwise. I have a dream to travel the world sharing the love of Jesus, and eventually ending up wherever He plants me. Another dream I have is to use my art for outreach. Whether making graphics for a nonprofit or painting murals in slums, I want my art to speak volumes to people. I feel most alive when I feel like I’m making a difference. That is honestly the best dream God has given me.
Thought Questions
1. How can we decipher God’s voice when determining our dreams?
2. What is the first step to take toward a pretty big dream?
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