What happens when the dream you believed God gave you begins to feel out of reach? Have you ever had a dream you were convinced God had placed on your heart? You prayed about it. You sought His direction. And you stepped out in faith. And somewhere along the way, you began imagining what it might look like when everything finally came together. You could almost see it, but then the dream felt like wishful thinking.
The possibilities. The opportunities. The lives that might be touched. And then reality showed up.
Things didn’t unfold the way you expected. The doors weren’t opening as quickly as you’d hoped. The results weren’t matching the vision.
And somewhere between what you believed God had called you to and what you were actually experiencing, an uncomfortable question began creeping into your thoughts:
“Was that really God leading me, or was it just wishful thinking?”
I’ve been there. In fact, there have been moments when I’ve wondered whether I was following God’s dream or simply hoping He would bless mine.
And that’s not always an easy question to ask.
When the Dream Meets Reality
Last week, I shared the story behind the name Chateau Mariposa and how an experience Carmen had in Nicaragua in 2018 became connected to our new home in Florida three years later.
When we purchased the property in September 2021, we believed God had led us there for something much bigger than simply owning a beautiful home.
We saw an opportunity to love people.
To welcome guests. To build relationships. And to create a place where others could experience hospitality, encouragement, and perhaps even a glimpse of God’s love.
And we still believe that. But here’s the part of the story that doesn’t always make it into the pictures.
What Is That?
The dream and the reality didn’t always look alike.
Our first year operating the property as a short-term rental brought excitement and possibility. But the second year didn’t produce the results we’d hoped for.
The bookings weren’t coming as consistently as we expected. The financial picture wasn’t developing the way we’d envisioned. And just as we were trying to navigate those challenges, another unexpected turn came.
The coaching work I’d depended on for income came to an abrupt end.
Suddenly, we found ourselves trying to sustain a dream that wasn’t yet supporting itself, while the income we’d counted on was no longer there. I wish I could tell you that I responded to all of this with unwavering confidence and extraordinary faith.
But that wouldn’t be entirely true.
There were questions. There were concerns. And there were moments when the distance between what we believed God had called us to and what we were experiencing seemed awfully wide.
And that’s when the questions started getting louder.
Was this really what God had called us to do? Had we mistaken our enthusiasm for His direction? Were we pursuing something He had placed on our hearts, or had we simply fallen in love with an idea and hoped He would make it work?
I don’t think those are necessarily questions of unbelief.
Sometimes they’re the questions of people who genuinely want to follow God but are struggling to understand what He’s doing.
When the dream begins to feel like wishful thinking, it’s not always our faith that’s disappearing. Sometimes it’s our confidence in our own understanding that’s being challenged.
Have you ever been there?
When Obedience Leads to an Unexpected Place
I wonder if the Israelites had a few moments when God’s promise began to sound like wishful thinking.
After generations of slavery, they were finally free. God had delivered them from Egypt and was leading them toward a land He had promised.
But then they found themselves trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s approaching army.
Water in front of them.
An army closing in behind them.
Nowhere to go.
Can you imagine what they must have been thinking?
This was supposed to be freedom? This was God’s plan?
And here’s what fascinates me.
They weren’t standing at the Red Sea because they had wandered away from God’s direction. They were there because they had followed it.
The circumstances looked nothing like the promise. But that didn’t mean the promise had disappeared.
Check out Hannah’s story about being obedient, and how different that looked to her – Blessing Follow Obedience.
Exodus 14:13–14 (NIV)
Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today… The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.
God hadn’t abandoned them. And He hadn’t made a mistake in leading them there.
What looked like a dead end was about to become the setting for an extraordinary demonstration of His faithfulness. Sometimes we assume that if we’re following God’s direction, the road should become easier.
But the Israelites discovered something entirely different. Obedience didn’t keep them from facing an impossible situation.
It brought them to a place where they would have to depend on God in a way they never had before. And perhaps that’s a lesson worth remembering.
Just because the road becomes difficult doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve taken a wrong turn.
God’s Dream or My Wishful Thinking?
Here’s something I’ve been learning.
There’s a difference between believing God has called me to something and assuming I know exactly how He’s going to make it happen.
And if I’m not careful, I can confuse the two. I can begin with a genuine sense of God’s leading, then gradually attach my own expectations, timelines, and definitions of success to it.
Before long, I’m no longer simply trusting God with the dream. I’m expecting Him to fulfill the version of it I’ve created in my mind. And when that doesn’t happen, I begin questioning whether the dream came from Him at all.
But perhaps the problem isn’t necessarily the dream. Perhaps it’s the expectations I’ve attached to it.
That doesn’t mean every dream comes from God. Some of our ideas really are wishful thinking. That’s why prayer, Scripture, wise counsel, and honest self-examination matter.
But neither does a difficult season automatically mean we’ve misunderstood His direction.
Sometimes the challenge is learning to distinguish between what God may be calling us toward and what we’ve assumed the outcome should look like.
That doesn’t mean every difficulty is a sign that God is testing us. And it certainly doesn’t mean every decision we’ve made has been the right one.
Sometimes we need to make adjustments. Sometimes we need wise counsel. And sometimes we need to acknowledge that our plans weren’t as well thought out as we believed.
Faith doesn’t eliminate responsibility. But neither should difficulty automatically cause us to question God’s faithfulness. A difficult season doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the wrong place.
Sometimes it simply means you’re in a place where your faith is being stretched. And stretching isn’t always comfortable.
What If the Dream Is Bigger Than the Outcome?
When Carmen and I began developing Chateau Mariposa, we naturally had expectations.
We hoped the property would become financially sustainable. We envisioned guests enjoying the spaces we were creating. And we imagined celebrations, gatherings, and relationships developing along the way.
And those things still matter.
But I’ve begun to wonder whether the dream was ever intended to be measured solely by bookings, revenue, or how quickly everything came together.
What if part of the dream was about what God wanted to develop in us?
Greater patience.
A deeper dependence on Him.
A willingness to keep loving people even when the financial results weren’t what we’d hoped.
A growing understanding that hospitality isn’t simply about providing a beautiful place.
It’s about making room for people in our lives.
That doesn’t make the financial challenges disappear. But it does change how I look at the journey. Maybe the dream wasn’t wrong. Maybe it was simply bigger than the version I’d imagined.
When the Story Isn’t Finished
As I’ve been writing my memoir, I’ve had the opportunity to look back over seasons of my life that made very little sense while I was living through them.
Some of those experiences were painful. Others were frustrating. And a few left me wondering what in the world God was doing.
But looking back, I can often see how those experiences shaped me and prepared me for what came next. Not because everything turned out perfectly. But because God remained faithful.
Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Notice that it doesn’t promise we’ll understand every step. It invites us to trust the One who does. Maybe that’s where you find yourself today.
You had a dream. Maybe you prayed about it. Then you believed God was leading you toward something meaningful. But somewhere along the way, the excitement faded, the obstacles grew, and what once seemed so clear began feeling like wishful thinking.
I’ve discovered that those moments require something more than simply holding on to a dream. They require holding on to God. Because ultimately, my faith isn’t supposed to rest in whether my dreams come true.
My faith rests in the One who remains faithful whether they do or not.
And perhaps that’s the greatest lesson of all. Sometimes God fulfills the dream in ways we never imagined. Sometimes He reshapes it.
And sometimes He lovingly redirects us toward something we couldn’t have seen from where we started.
But in every case, He invites us to trust Him more than we trust our own understanding.
So when the dream begins to feel like wishful thinking, don’t be afraid to bring your questions to God. He can handle them. And He can guide you through whatever comes next.
A Thought to Take With You
When the dream begins to feel like wishful thinking, remember that your faith isn’t anchored in the dream. It’s anchored in the One you’re trusting with it.
Challenge of the Week
Is there an area of your life where reality hasn’t matched your expectations? Perhaps it’s your career, your marriage, your family, your finances, or something you genuinely believed God was calling you to pursue. This week, take some time to reflect on these questions:
- What did I believe God was leading me toward?
- What expectations did I attach to that calling?
- Am I trusting God with this dream, or am I trusting Him to fulfill my version of it?
- Am I allowing my disappointment with the circumstances to shape how I view God’s faithfulness?
Then ask God for wisdom to recognize what needs to change, courage to take the next faithful step, and peace to trust Him with the outcome.
Remember: A difficult chapter doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve misunderstood the Author. So be it.
A Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for being faithful even when life doesn’t unfold the way I expected. Forgive me for the times I’ve confused my plans with Your purposes. Help me distinguish between what You’ve called me to do and the expectations I’ve placed on how it should happen. Give me wisdom to make adjustments where needed, courage to remain faithful when the road becomes difficult, and a heart that trusts You even when I can’t see what’s ahead. Continue shaping me through every season, and may my life reflect Your love regardless of the circumstances. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Leave a Reply