The VISION

Last night I randomly woke up at 1:30am and could not get back to sleep.  I laid there for about 10 minutes before I finally asked God, “Ok, who am I supposed to be praying for?”  I then laid there and started just praying for different situations I know of and then just laid there and listened to what God may be trying to say to me.  Then, clear as can be…I literally saw inside my storefront that I have been dreaming about.  I saw the counters and layout of the Decorating Room, I saw the whole layout of the Baking/Work Room, I saw the Offices, and I saw the layout of furniture when you first walk into the store.  When I told Felicity, the first thing she asked is “How was it decorated?”.  I didn’t see that, but I do have some ideas on potential color scheme and a “proper” logo.  Around 2:30am, after I had seen every room of my storefront, I fell peacefully to sleep.

I don’t tell you all this to make you feel weird about visions from God or to make me sound good because I woke up and started praying for other people.  I tell you all this to let you know that it is ok to dream big, it is ok to ask God for a vision and it is ok to tell God the desires of your heart…in fact, He wants us to!  Yes, He is God and already knows the desires of our heart, but He wants US to ask for them.  This simple act of asking shows Him that we have full faith that He will deliver on His promises.  It is like handing a gift to someone.  If I take a gift to a friend and hand it to her, she must reach (the act of asking) for it in order to receive it into her hands.  The same thing applies to God!  He has our gifts sitting and waiting for us, we just have to reach out and receive them from Him!

Another lesson is to have the vision, plan it out, dream about it, pray about it and trust God for it to come to pass in HIS timing!  God knows when you are to have the desires of your heart and when you are ready for them.  My personal vision is to open a storefront in 2012, but I have to think about this…When does GOD want me to have it?  He may be ready for me to open it in 2011 or it could even happen later; I just have to listen to HIS leading and He will guide me where I am to go.

The next lesson, which I glean a bit out of Felicity’s desire to know how it was decorated.  As much as I would have loved to see that part of the vision, I have to trust that God knows what He is doing.  If He showed me the entire vision, it would probably scare me to death; that’s why He doesn’t show us everything at once.  This also allows me the opportunity to trust God more and allow HIM to be the one in control of the vision!  I fully believe that this vision is from Him; I don’t think I would be at all successful if it wasn’t.  I fully believe that He knows what is in store for A Taste of Heaven and that it is likely so much bigger than I have even dreamed it to be.  This is why I have to completely rely on Him with each step I take.

I have a dear friend who sees the vision God has given and has jumped in with both feet and is walking out the vision with me.  I love that God puts people in our lives that are there to hold us accountable, pray with us and cheer us on!  Without those people, I think the vision would be less fun and so much harder to work through.  You have to have people come alongside of you that have your best interest at heart and that are passionate about your vision!  The great thing is…you can be this person’s cheerleader, pray for them and hold them accountable in their visions too!

I am so blessed to have a friend who understands the vision and can see it unfold!  I am so blessed to have a husband who believes in me and believes I am talented and have the ability to do this! I am blessed to have a daughter that gets the vision and knows that I am not ignoring her because I am being selfish, I am stepping away for a moment for the sake of the vision and so she comes with me until I have done what I need.  I have these 3 people in my life (and so many more) who are cheering me on, believe in me, catch the vision and know that God has huge plans for this vision!  They are willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of what they know God has given me as a vision!

I pray that in reading this you gleaned even a little bit about trusting God for the visions in your life!  If you have a vision and you don’t know which way to go…start with praying to God and listening to what HE has to say about your vision!

All I can say beyond that is…Get ready!  A Taste of Heaven is about to explode and it is gonna be huge!