Dreams: When Dreams Don’t Come True

@JeanneTakenaka

In May, I participated in a twelve-day Instagram writer’s challenge. It was both stretching and fun. We were given a different word each day and created posts about those words relating to our writer’s life. 

As I contemplated each word, I discovered correlations between writing life and real-life. I’ve expanded on the original posts, and I’d love to read your thoughts on these words as they relate to your life as well. This is my final post with this series. 

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Have you ever had a dream that felt so big, so out of reach, you never thought it was possible to achieve?

From the time I was fourteen, I’ve wanted to be published. I set the dream aside for decades because of . . . well, life. 

And fear.

At first the idea of writing a full-length novel—with characters, plot, and setting—overwhelmed me. The fear of failure cast a large shadow in my thoughts. 

And then there was the fear—of my dream never coming true.  

Authentic: When Rejection Needs a Final Word

+Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka

This post is a little longer than most of my posts. I wanted to share some of what God’s showing me about my One Word: Authentic. I hope you’ll read to the end.

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I’m living in the limp lane of life right now. My knee is slowly recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery in February, and I don’t get much done from sun up to sun down. I’ve had to accept that some tasks will be completed, and others will wait for another day.

I’m used to being in the “do-er lane.” Moving fast through my to-do list, accomplishing much in a day. I’m up and down and moving around, going to appointments and driving the kids where they need to be.

Scars: How They Shape Us

By +Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka

We all have them. I still wear scars from the time I tripped while running up cement steps. One step tore a piece of my shin skin away. Or the one on my right hand from where I was practicing my starts for a backstroke race and the back of my hand met the bottom of the pool. They’re small visible reminders of past pains . . . and lessons learned.

They bled, scabbed, and healed over. Skin slightly warbled, but still good for go into every day life.

Real: The Journey to Real

By +Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka

My Five Minute Friday prompt this week is—REAL. This largely unedited “rough draft” form of writing stretches this perfectionist, in the best of ways. I write for five minutes on a given topic. If you’re interested in learning more about 5-Minute Fridays, check out our hostess, Kate Motaung’s site. Or, click on the link at the bottom of this post. As you read my simpler Friday posts, I hope you’ll join in the conversation!

REAL

I grew up in a world where people made fun of me. Mocked me. Spit upon me.

I learned pretty early on that being real got a girl ostracized. At school anyway. My family loved me, and that brought comfort.

Growing up, I determined to do whatever it took to fit in, to be accepted. Even if that meant not being the entire “real” me. It was safer for my heart to be accepted than it was to step out in brave-ness and be who I really was. And part of my heart— the essence of me—was lost.

It wasn’t until my thirties that I realized I was trying to live life around a gaping wound in my heart. It hurt to look back on choices made because of my fear of rejection.

Was it safe to be who I really am? Would people condemn me for being . . . me?

God took me through a journey I don’t have time to go into now. It’s been painful. He’s shown me I don’t have to look like I have it all together. People may not always accept me. And that’s okay.

Because my Abba does. He created me. He knows the real me. He knows the wounds of my past and has the salve for my present.

God’s showing me that the real me is enough. Because of Him.

And I’m learning that as I am real with other people? They are drawn to Jesus in me. And they accept me as . . . me.

It’s only Jesus in me that can bring beauty from the wounds. Healing from the hurts. And reveal truth to transform the lies.

He is the One who is real. And He’s teaching me how to be a real reflection of Him—reflecting His love to those around me.

Being real is scary. But this step-by-step journey of trusting God to create in me all that He intended for me to be? The messiest, most difficult, most freeing journey I’ve ever walked.

What about you? Do you struggle with being real with those around you? How do you live real in your life?

Vist Kate Motaung’s Five Minute Friday post—Real