dreaming during the day

Last week, we sat in our Happiness Project ladies' group and discussed dreams. Not the kind we have at night, though some of my best ideas have come right when I'm trying to drift off to sleep. The kind of dreams we might have had as kids about what we wanted to be when we grew up and what we wanted to accomplish with our lives. And we asked the question--what do you do even if you don't have to do it? What do you do in your spare time, what do you read for enjoyment, or what thread ties all the important parts of your life together? This is where your dreams tend to lie, if you look hard enough.

A day or two later, I sat on my couch surrounded by books. Which is always a good thing. These books, however, were commentaries and word studies on the book of Romans, not the sort of thing most of us probably read on a daily basis. Together, carting them from the upstairs hallway to my couch probably constituted my workout for the day. Most people would have looked at me there and said something like, "Wow, too bad you have to do so much work to write a sermon. That does not look fun."

And it hit me that this was just what we had been discussing.Because I was having fun. Lots of fun. So much that I didn't want to quit and do the million other things calling for attention that day. And most other people would not find this normal. For that morning, I was what we were talking about and searching for: perfectly happy. The same feeling I have when reading a good piece of literature, or writing what I hope is a good piece of something, or making a masterpiece of a gingerbread lighthouse with my kids (last night's project). Blessed to be living in the moment doing something it's my passion to do.

What are your dreams? Do you have some that need dusting off? What do you find yourself going back to time and again, or getting that feeling of joy out of, or reading about all the time? These are keys to your passion, and your joy.