- Towers surrounding Piazza Cisterna, San Gimignano, Tuscany.
- “Dreaming is a form of praying, and praying is a form of dreaming,” Mark Batterson
I was wandering around Tuscany last week, loving the tiny walled cities, the watch-towers (torre), bell-towers (campanile), the warm, funny people, and the excellent, gargantuan feasts, six and seven course meals. The elegant hotels and the massive repasts, the table littered with fine wines, were organized by the tour group, ATG. I would normally have contented myself with two courses, and good-enough accommodation, but I enjoyed it, as a one-off treat!
Oh, I suffer from wanderlust, a craving which got into my bones from reading, and watching movies, and looking at art, and I have travelled as much as I could afford throughout my adult life.
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Piazza Duomo, San Gimignano, Tuscany.
I founded a small company in July 2007, an immensely stressful experience at first, as I had no business background.
A few months later, a Swedish friend described Stockholm, and the elegant canals that ran through it with Baltic palaces and mansions on either side. I longed to see it, but could not see how we could ever afford it, with all the money from the business going to pay private school fees and the mortgage, or being ploughed back into the business.
But as our friend spoke, the thought struck me like an electric shock, “Anita, pray. Pray that your business will provide enough for you to see Stockholm.” And suddenly that impossible dream seemed entirely possible.
And my eyes filled with tears, because I immediately knew that, of course, if I prayed, it was possible. It definitely was possible.
* * *
And over the next couple of years, we had lots of orders for the unusual stuff we sold from Europe. And each time I stuffed envelopes to Copenhagen or Stockholm or Oslo, or Malta or Corfu or Granada or Ravenna or Bologna or Donegal or Brittany or Strasbourg or Corfu or Istanbul or Geneva or Slovenia or Finland, I’d pray, “Lord, ‘my’ stuff is going to these places. One day, may I sell enough of them that I myself can visit these places.”
But our product list was then small, and the costs of the business were high–economies of scale and experience not having kicked in–that I could not see how it could ever be possible.
But I kept praying.
And we worked hard, too hard perhaps, because having taken on the challenge of building a business, it became our main, obsessive interest which absorbed all our energy and passion.
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- Il Campo (the main square), with town hall and bell tower, Siena.
In 2009, two years after starting the business, we explored the whole of Norway, which we had long wanted to; and in 2011, we explored Sweden, and, yes, Stockholm, and canoed down the river, with the Baltic palaces on each side; and in 2012, Denmark. I love Scandinavia.
Last week, as we walked the streets of Montalcino, Tuscany, I told Roy about the prayer I had prayed in 2007 as Goran had told us about Sweden, and about how it has been lavishly answered. Since 2009, we’ve taken the girls to all those magical places I mentioned earlier.
* * *
Why did God answer that totally frivolous prayer?
Well, why not?
I think that is how the Lord of Universe sometimes views our prayers. Much as we should view our child’s request for an ice-cream on a hot day when we have money in our pocket.
Why not?
And perhaps he will use my love of travel in the story of my life. I have three big prayers about how I want him to do so!
* * *
Perhaps my prayer was answered because God is a father, and delights in giving us what we ask for.
Think of a child climbing into her father’s lap, saying, “Papa, may I have a doll house for Christmas?”
And if there is room in their house for the dollhouse; and if the father can buy it while meeting his other obligations; and if the child can be counted on not to scatter the doll’s house furniture throughout the real house; and not to swallow bits and pieces; and if it will be a pleasure, not one more stressful bit of clutter, sure he will give it to her.
And so, when I figuratively climbed into his lap, in 2007, and said, “Father, I want to see Scandinavia. Father, open up Europe and the Europeans to me. Father, please ensure that this business I am establishing will provide our family enough money to travel widely in Europe,” he could have said, “Oh, Anita, your business really is writing. Wait. Your writing will enable your travel. And that will give you more joy.”
And in retrospect that is what I should have prayed for.
But I asked for my little business to prosper so my kids could go to the best school for them, which was expensive and private, and so he said, “Yes, child, okay,” and it happened to me as I prayed for.
* * *
He is our Father, and he encourages us to pray outrageous prayers, and because he is a kind, even indulgent father, he often grants them.
Not always, of course, but climbing into his lap, and whispering our heart’s desires into his ears, is one of the things which will change the course of our lives more than anything else! I am convinced of it.
What you pray for consistently has a tremendous, seismic, thoroughly under-estimated effect on the course of your life.
Thank you so much for this. I don’t think I’ve ever really told God what my heart desires. I’m not sure I really know myself. It’s all tied up with need, and concern, and like motherhood sometimes, my desires come last in the pecking order. Given me lots to think about.
“I don’t think I’ve ever really told God what my heart desires. I’m not sure I really know myself.”
Karen, I am reading Mark Batterson’s book “The Circle Maker.” Do read it, or listen it to on audio. It’s about identifying your heart’s desires, before beginning a serious prayer life.
Batterson asks “If Jesus were to say to you, “What would you like me to do for you,” as he asked the blind men, what would you say?”
That gives us a clue to our heart’s desires.
I used to shy away from ‘asking’ prayers till very lately. But, just as you said, God opened my eyes to it through my child. If I delight in giving small surprises to my child, surprises that make her happy, that she keeps asking for, then how much more my heavenly Father! Now I offer my desires and dreams to my Father more confidently and freely. It sure shows our freedom with Him. Submitting to God’s will is not blindly following his cane, only a parent-child relationship can explain it. Keep writing Anita. Stay blessed.
Yes, being a parent gave me an insight into God’s father-heart as nothing else did!
Anita, thank you for this post today. It is amazing how God sends us what we need to hear. For many years now I have dreamed of taking my kids to Europe (including a villa in Tuscany!) in the European summer of 2014, to coincide with my long service leave at work and the kids year levels at school, and to celebrate my 50th birthday in Paris. My husband and I have travelled extensively, but I really want to share with my kids the iconic places in Europe (and Paris is my favourite city). Then came this year. All my booked work travel plans had to be cancelled (USA, France, New Zealand) while life stops for me to undergo surgery, chemotherapy and then further surgery for breast cancer. However, the dream of taking my kids to Europe next year is larger than ever….even more compelling now. A celebration of life.
Today I received an email from a favourite airline company to say they are currently offering early-bird discount fares for travel from Australia to Europe from March – October next year. It’s a great deal and I became quite excited and have been working out dates of travel etc in order to book the discount airlines, complete with stopover in Singapore (another place we’ve been wanting to take the kids for years). And then my excitement was tarnished…am I being ridiculous? I had my last cycle of chemotherapy this week, and I still have to undergo major surgery before the end of this year. I had to cancel all those work-funded travel trips for this year, what if something comes up again next year and we have to cancel these personally-funded flights (a significant expense that we will need to save hard to pay for). Is this really what God has planned for us next year? How will we fund it? Am I being completely selfish and indulgent and doing it all my own way by jumping in and snapping up these discount fares.? Once that happens, the trip is on! It is no longer a dream. Is this a dream that I’ve just had all along, with no regard for what else might happen in our lives, or the lives of my husband and children. Selfish, selfish, selfish. I prayed to God this afternoon, that if this trip is His will and meant to be for our family, then he needs to allow it to happen, we’ll be able to get the fares we want, for when we want them, and somehow we’ll be able to find the money to fund the trip. A pretty big ask, really. And I felt guilty for praying this prayer.
Then I went to bed (it’s well after midnight here in Australia) and check my emails on iPhone, and there is your blog for today! Oh wow, I was crying. I’ve had to re-boot the laptop to tell you this straight away. If this isn’t a sign that I’m allowed to dream big and we’re allowed to have indulgent dreams to work towards, then I don’t know what is! You’d think by now I wouldn’t be surprised by things like this, but it still blows me away. Thank you. I’m going to start making those plans tomorrow and not feel guilty about asking God that if this is His will, that plans will all work out.
Thank you! We are about the same age and stage in life, when it makes more sense to invest in spiritual and actual experiences, and time with loved ones than in material things (or stock portfolios, IMO). I do not believe that you will regret seeing these magical places with your children and husband, however things pan out on the health front.
However, continue to check it out with the Father.
Every blessing for good health and much fun, Anita
Thanks Anita. I booked the flights today
Yay, go, girl, go. Every blessing for health and adventure!!
Thank you for sharing your heart, Anita. I am often too wrapped up in bracing myself for the “not always, of course” answers that I neglect to pray for my heart’s desire.
Oh me too, me too. I often chide myself for how easily my wishes and hopes and dreams stay in the realm of hopes and wishes rather than become concrete, real things as happens when I take them to the Father in prayer.
Just as secular people say visualization makes things happen, I believe praying consistently over our dreams (perhaps in a list) is more likely to make them come true.
Your photos are wonderful and make me want to travel too but I can’t even begin to imagine how that daydream might work out…
Thanks for the reminder to climb up on his knee – I haven’t been there enough recently…
Life is long, Sarah. The dream will work out at the right time. And children become more and more of a pleasure to travel with as they grow older.
Meet you there, at the Father’s knee 🙂
thank you for reminding us to dream and pray.
I am starting a life coaching business and my goal is to offer life coaching and spirit workshops and and retreats for women and possibly men.
One of the workshops that I plan to offer is creating your spiritual vision board. I seek to share the wisdom and gifts that God has given me and teach what I have learned. Through my prayers, I am planting the seeds to sprout.
“Through my prayers, I am planting the seeds to sprout.”
Exactly. I love that metaphor–prayer is planting seeds that will one day sprout. Yes, that’s exactly right!
Thank you for your visit!