What is the dream?
A few years ago, someone asked me, "What is the dream?" I vividly remember how my body lit up, like the first day of spring. I hadn’t realized how long it had been since someone had asked me that question so genuinely. At that moment, my mind swirled with dreams—detailed and perfectly planned out. But, as we all know, life rarely follows the script we’ve written in our heads.
Back then, my answer went something like this: "Are you sure you're ready to hear this? I’ve always dreamed of having a large family—about ten children—and living in a charming, old farmhouse in the lush, green mountainsh of the North East. I imagine raising animals, integrating faith, and nurturing mental wellness. I want to build a life with a man who loves the Lord, desires to farm, and be part of a vibrant community. I long for a slower, intentional life…” And I could’ve kept going.
Today, I’m not surrounded by the green mountains, the old farmhouse, or the ten children… yet. But what remains is the Lord’s unwavering faithfulness. I’m blessed with a man who chases after God, a cozy, quaint cottage that meets our needs, animals we love and care for, land to cultivate and share with our community, and the most breathtaking sunsets over the lake just down the hill from our home that remind me of God’s daily provision.
What a gift!
I was so focused on my own desires that I almost missed what the Lord had for me. If I hadn't surrendered—and this is the important part—if I hadn’t continued to surrender those wants, I wouldn’t be married to the most incredible man I know, nor would I be able to see the beauty around me each day. It’s a constant internal battle between what I want, what I need, and what God has for me.
This dream—The Garden Cottage Farm—was planted in my heart years ago, long before I truly understood what it meant. All I knew was that it was worth it to surrender the things I thought I wanted and believed were best for me, because honestly, I make a terrible god over my own life, and allow God to be in control. I didn’t want to miss what He had planned for me.
Through years of searching, deep conversations with friends, early mornings drenched in prayer, experiences in other cultures, and my career in the mental health field, all led my heart to see the dream God was cultivating. And it all comes down to this: The Garden Cottage Farm—to steward the gifts we’ve been given, to contribute to our community, to use our talents as husband and wife to serve, to honor God in all we do, and to love each other as Christ first loved us.
This is only the first year The Garden Cottage Farm has taken physical form, and I am filled with joy and anticipation for what lies ahead.
In this new season, as we enter year two of The Garden Cottage Farm, I hold close this quote by Elsie De Wolfe: "I am going to make everything around me beautiful—that will be my life." The world is already full of beauty, and the dreams and desires in your heart have purpose. Yet, it is a choice—a choice I know well, though not always easy—that is worth it: to believe in and seek faith in what God is doing in our lives.
So, I leave you with this: What dreams is God placing on your heart? How can you begin taking small, faithful steps toward the life He’s calling you to?
You have purpose. You are valued. You are loved.
-SO
