Thoughts of a 22-year Old Dreamer

Sometimes I get caught up in the past. A lot of the time, actually. The thing that I love about the past is that it's constant. The past doesn't change. The past can never change. It is what it is, and I find so much security in that.

Sometimes I get caught up in the future. The terrifying, wide-open future. I get it. I'm that naive, bright-eyed early 20's girl that thinks the world is amazing and exciting and explorable and changeable and I want to be the one to change it. And I believe that I can.

My parents tell me a lot, "Autumn, get your head out of the clouds. You're too big a dreamer, it's time to be realistic about life."

And you know what? I hate that.

I hate when anyone says that 20-year olds are naive, or that we're too optimistic about the future, or that we need a big dose of reality. Do you know why I hate that? Because I think those people are wrong.

Right now, I feel about the world the way I felt about it when I was 10-years old. I felt like it was B-I-G and I felt like I was limitless. So, maybe I still think like a child.

Luke 18:17 says, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Matthew 18:4 says, “Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Thinking like a child is Christ-like.

I don't think the Lord ever intended for us to become bored, stale, unimaginative 30 or 40 year olds. He never wanted us to look at the world in a "realistic" way. To say that you can't change the world because you're just one person?

I sure am happy Jesus didn't have that outlook.

I sure am happy that Paul, the greatest missionary our faith has ever seen, didn't say, "Well, I'm 30. I'll leave those big dreamy ideas to the young people."

I am tired of being discouraged about the future. I am tired of it being "irresponsible" of me to dream of doing foreign mission work. I am tired of middle-class American dreamers, and I am tired of them pushing their "dreams" on me.

I never wanted a simple 9-5 job. I never wanted to be comfortable. I never want to be rich. I never want a big house.

And you know what?

That's ok.

Shout out to all the 20-year olds that believe that life is short and worth living, who believe that their dreams are worth pursuing, who are tired of the older generations discouraging us, who believe that we can change the world.

And who probably will.