Vision Casting (Part II) by Carolyn Ward
(Continued from Issue Feb. 2008)
Nurturing
I have noticed upon reading the Bible that when God placed a dream seed in someone’s heart, it never came ‘suddenly’. Abraham was promised seed that was too numerous to count. He died in hope, still nurturing the dream seed. Joseph was showed that he would be a Leader; he went through a lengthy nurturing season in which he was taken from his family, sold into slavery and then cast in a prison. David became a cave dweller after he was anointed to be king over Israel .
Yet, in hope against all hope, they maintained trust in God and continued to nurture that which was birthed in them by the Holy Ghost; A dream seed, a vision for their futures.
Encarta Dictionary defines nurture as: To give tender care and protection to a young child, animal, or plant, helping it to grow and develop; to encourage somebody or something to grow, develop, thrive, and be successful; to keep a feeling in the mind for a long time, allowing it to grow or deepen; the influence that an organism's environment has on the organism, especially when contrasted with what is determined genetically or by nature.
When we are doing thus with the vision God has given us, that which in the natural is impossible to us, will become, determined by how we cared for it, protected it when others have said it is a sham dream.
Do you encourage yourself to grow? The Bible said, “David encouraged himself in the Lord”. It is why he was able to do the very thing that the enemy tried to keep him from doing, even to the point of trying to take his life through King Saul. Yet, in all this, David caused his vision to thrive; he kept a feeling for it in his mind for a long time. He allowed it to grow, to deepen, till, no chasing from Saul or the Philistines could deter him from becoming king.
Nurture your gifts, talents, vision, dreams; and you will find them realized in the time God has prepared it to be called ‘Today’ for them to be realized.
Do Not Abort
When Saul was chasing David, when Joseph was thrown in the cave, when Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac, the heir apparent and only way for him to have seed more numerous than the sand on the seashore, they did not abort their vision.
Abraham could have said, “Well, wait a minute God, You said…and now You say to slay the vision. I’m not going to do that, I mean, he is my seed; he is my dream seed!” David could have said, “Man, I can’t get rid of Saul, let him have the kingdom. If I was going to be king, then why am I living in a cave? Come on, David, get out of this mess. Apparently, you missed God!” And Joseph, he could have said, “I’m the one bowing down, and my brothers and father are far away. How can this thing be that I was shown? Can’t be! I am, after all, just a dreamer…”
But, Abraham does have seed more numerous than the sand on the seashore, David did become king and Joseph’s brothers and father did bow down to him. It all came to pass just as God said, because they did not abort the seed birthed in them.
If you stop midstream, abandon or call to a halt the vision by not believing God, you abort it. Keep going against the tide, stay with the way God is leading you, no matter how off track it may seem He is taking you. He knows the way. Do not suddenly halt in your way. Go full term!
Getting Into Position
When the time comes for a woman to give birth to the baby she has carried for 9 months, she gets into the birthing position. Her legs are in a certain position; her whole body goes into action, seemingly, on its own. It seems to know exactly what to do. She readies herself to bring forth the seed in her.
So must you and I as we near the season to give birth to what God has placed in us by the Holy Spirit. We must get our thoughts stayed on the task; our whole outlook must be to the end of the thing; to accomplishing our goal.
You must begin to get alone with God to seek His guidance and help for that crucial moment, just as the woman seeks the guidance and help from her physician. Ensure that God is there. The woman calls ahead to the doctor to tell him that she is en-route to the hospital to deliver the baby. You too must call upon the Lord. You too must have His help to deliver the vision.
PUSH!!!
Birthing Dreams and Visions
The baby is being born. PUSH!!!
I am pregnant and I heard those words as I was preparing to go to sleep the other night. Giving my full attention, I waited. This is what I had been praying for and waiting on for over ten years. Then I heard, “Before, I said to you, ‘It’s time to get into position; the baby is about to be born’...but now I say, ‘The baby is being born. PUSH!!!’ ” The time span between those two directives has been over ten years. What a long time to be pregnant you may be thinking. I agree.
But this is no ordinary, flesh and blood baby. This is a spiritually conceived baby. It is a dream seed. One that I conceived carried and nurtured long before ten years ago. I first became pregnant in 1969. I was 12 years old. That adds up to 37 years ago.
I conceived this baby when Jesus came to me and said, “I have something that I would like for you to do for Me. Will you do it?” Once I said yes, I conceived. My whole life has been a nurturing womb for this baby. And God has been the Obstetrician. In 1984, during a visit, He said, “I will teach you and mold you, Myself”. In 1996 I received the first indication that a birth would soon take place; when He said to me that it was time to get into position. And now, in 2006, He says that it is time to give birth.
But more than that, I have since found out that I am not carrying one baby, but three. Yes, triplets. I was amazed too.
Now I understand why He gave me three names: ALLEGORY: The Bride of Christ, Lambsey and Friends, and FaithCards.
So now, I am entering into a time of travailing so as to birth the babies. It is not as difficult as I first imagined it would be since He first gave me the news that I was having triplets.
As you can guess, I am speaking with the Father regarding the babies’ needs. I mean, there are many things a baby needs. But the Father has cattle on a thousand hills, and He has assured me that He will supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. That is a relief.
However, I do need ‘birthing coaches’ to birth the vision God has given me. I am asking you to please pray for me as I...PUSH!!!