The “Bounce Back”!

Every one of us has a dream. From the time we discovered books, we all began to dream of different things and/or people we would have liked to be. Honestly, what makes the best dreamer, is the force we have behind us, pushing us forward, giving us guidance, and most importantly supporting us through all the ups and downs of pursuing our dream. But, what do you do with dreams deferred? What makes us go from focusing and driving so hard for our dreams, to not pursuing them at all? If you have this issue, then you have not discovered the “Bounce Back”. I had to discover this for myself and on my journey to bouncing back, I also discovered many others who have found the “Bounce Back” too.

When I was in second grade, my teacher, Mrs. Brown, had given the class an assignment to write three paragraphs about a historically black leader. Now, I was eight at the time, and I had never written more than a paragraph about anything, much less something heavy as writing about a person I did not know. At first, I panicked and then she sat down with me and explained that all I needed to do was write about a historical figure that impacted me in some way. At the time, it was Black History Month, and we had talked about quite as few historical figures, and of course the first person I thought of was Martin Luther King. So, I built my outline (it was good for a second grader), and then I started to write about this great man, who I had heard about but did not truly know about until we read about him in class. I think I became so wrapped up in creating a great story, that I did not even hear the bell ring to go home.

The next day, Mrs. Brown was presenting the different stories to the class, and she was giving special recognition to the papers that stood out in creativity and knowledge. I, of course, was a nervous wreck because, I had no idea how my work would be received. The other students that were acknowledged were already the stars of the class, so I did not see myself in the running with them. But then suddenly, I hear my name called, and let me tell you, I at first thought it was because I failed at something. My teacher comes up to my desk, pats me on the shoulder and announces to the class that my paper was the best of all. This moment, was the moment that set off my journey to becoming a writer. From that moment on, I had made up my mind that I was going to be a writer.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4

In pursuing my dream of writing, I took every writing course you could think of, I studied it, practiced it, made others read anything I wrote, used it to cope with different changes in my life, and simply loved stringing together words to create something for another to enjoy. Unfortunately, by the time I graduated college, I had no longer pursued my dream with fervor and passion. I had become distracted by so many other things in my life that writing, became just my hobby and no longer the God-Given talent that was given to me for a reason. I would write every now and again, but I allowed the enemy to distract and deter my focus on the prize. The people I allowed in my life did not help me, but instead made me feel like my writing was a dead end. Like it was a silly past- time that a person such as myself could never excel in. This is how easily a dream can become deferred.

The amazing thing about God is, He is the Master of the “Bounce Back” and He will only let us go but so far away, before HE makes us see His plan for us all along. And that is why I am writing today. GOD orchestrated my total “Bounce Back”. Just like many of you who have a hidden passion to become and to be something more, God gave you those talents for a reason. And He also knows how easily persuaded we are to drop His plan for us too.  You can talk to many people who have gone from one dream to the next because they have found that the dream God has given them is too hard to obtain. So, we are left floundering, like fish on dry land, until we realize we need WATER. God is the life- giving WATER for our souls. We need Him to be what we were created for. And we all have a purpose. I am amid my “Bounce Back”, when can I see yours? You know you go this!

Sincerely,

Terryn