This week, Welcome to My World wants to know, What question would be good to ask yourself—or if you’re a fiction writer, your characters?

Whether I’m reading a novel or writing one, the characters always face conflict…some sort of problem that needs to be resolved. My characters haven’t defeated an evil monarch or chased a killer. But they have healed from loss and family drama, found love, and stepped out in faith to achieve a dream.

When adversity blocks their lifelong dream, my question to them is always, what are you going to do about it?

In Kiss under the Lemon Tree, my secondary character, Addie, knew the world is filled with possibilities.

Being a television travel host was her childhood dream. She studied vacation magazines and watched TV tourist hosts for tips on speaking and presenting facts in a precise and exciting manner. Then, when life got hard, she stopped dreaming of possibilities. She let circumstances and her deep sense-of-duty control every aspect of her life.

This is also true of real life.

Many people will carry their aspirations with them long after retirement. But there are no last chances once we’re too elderly to fulfill our dreams.

Following God with the dreams that He puts in our hearts isn’t always easy. We’ll make mistakes along the way. We’ll run into roadblocks. Fear or doubt may overwhelm us. But we can trust God to help us through the tough times, to direct our steps every inch of the way.

“A man’s heart deviseth [plans] his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.”-Proverbs 16:9 (KJV)

My male protagonist, Sonny, in Kiss under the Lemon Tree took an approach different from Addie: Being a photojournalist was his childhood fantasy. As a young boy of a widow, he spent a lot of time alone at home while his mother worked. To help, he taught himself how to cook and bake. He also toiled at improving his skills with a camera. But it took money to buy film and then have it developed. He didn’t let this stop him. He used his baking skills to raise money to support his dream.

Do you see what happened?

He didn’t give up.

He used what he had to grow his God-given purpose.

This is powerful.

“Do Not Wait; the time will never be ‘Just Right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”- George Herbert

Yes, start where you stand, work with what you have, but first ask God to be the CEO of your dreams, to guide you on the right path with the right tools.

Ask God to be the CEO of your dreams, to guide you on the right path with the right tools.

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What step will you take today to begin a dream?

If you’ve already begun, what tip can you share that will help others pursue their dreams?

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