Do you have a dream? Maybe something you’ve always wanted to do. Maybe something you’ve always wanted to be. Have you done it? Are you what you dreamed of being? Is live what you thought it would be?

If you’re like me, you probably have some aspirations unrealized. It’s not that I’ve fallen short of who I thought I was going to be. It’s more like the plans just kind of changed somewhere along the way. I’ve adapted to life. In many ways, I’m much more than I thought I would ever be. I am a faithful and devoted father and husband, something that has brought me more joy than I could ever imagine. In so many ways, I have been blessed beyond belief with the things that matter most in life. Some changes or adaptations have been better than I imagined…others, less. With the many realized, beautiful blessings in my life, I have also fallen short. I’m not a successful writer. I’m not a noted musician. I’m not a professional baseball player and I can’t jump buildings in a single bound.

As I reflect on my path, and how I’ve come to the place I find myself today, I wonder how much I’ve actually been proactive in my life versus how much I’ve simply reacted to the life that’s going on around me. I’d like to say that I’ve planned out every step of the way and it’s turned out exactly like my plan. Success! But that’s just not true. Life has happened to me. Bad things have happened despite my best efforts to avoid them. Good things have also happened to me, despite my efforts to sabotage myself. I think this is how God works. We have a plan and He has a plan. Sometimes they mesh and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes we listen to Him and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes God takes me places I’ve never dreamed of, sometimes I run the other way, and sometimes I just find myself reacting to the circumstances unfolding around me without actually being proactive either way.

In turn, like the life lived on auto-pilot, I wonder also how much our faith is acted on and how much is reactive. Do you practice your faith? To practice something implies action. To work at something, hone it and sharpen it. Are you active in your life? Do you have a plan? Are your dreams and aspirations God-inspired? Does your life reflect the glory of God? 2 Peter 3-11 gives some good advice for aligning your faith with your actions, for being intentional about living the life that God created you to live.

What do you practice? Guitar? Writing? Parenthood? Do you practice being a good spouse? A good listener? Do you practice your faith? Do you practice living life or do you find yourself reacting to your environment more than creating it? Too many questions? What’s your reaction?