Dear Son/Daughter,
I want to talk to you about your dreams. Watching you grow up, I’ve see them in your eyes and heard you talk about them. Even now Dad and I see you walk in your giftings and touch other’s lives – it’s exciting! You make the world a better place. But I want to encourage you to not stop there. Don’t think small.
Have you ever heard the fable of the “Bigger Frying Pan?” The story goes something like this:
It was a dark and stormy night…. Just kidding!!
Actually, this story took place on a warm summer day when two friends, Bob and John, went fishing and woweedowee! were the fish biting! John was filling his cooler with his loot, both big and small fish. But strangely enough, every time Bob caught a fish he measured the fish with his ruler, and if it was longer than the ruler, he threw the fish back into the water. He only kept fish smaller than his ruler. Later in the day, as the men packed up to leave, John’s curiosity overcame him and he asked, “Bob, why were you throwing back all the big fish you caught?
Bob responded, “I only have a small frying pan.”
Really?! Bob couldn’t see past his experience of cooking small fish.
In the fable, the fish represents ideas, opportunities and dreams; while the frying pan represents the limitations we place on those opportunities and possibilities. Bob had a small frying pan and a small vision.
Sometimes, like Bob, we overlook big opportunities, big dreams, big visions. And we settle for the little fish. We wrestle with the larger fish and entertain reasons we can’t…. “I’m not good enough” or “I need more experience” or “I need to think about it” or “Someone else is already doing that better than I can.”
Many of us restrict ourselves the same way Bob did. Bob could have easily kept the larger fish. He may have needed to buy a larger frying pan or cut his fish, but there was no reason he should have limited himself to the small fish.
How about you? Are you limiting yourself? I know you have hopes and dreams, gifts and talents, opportunities and possibilities. Are you talking yourself out of your dreams by sizing them up to see if they are possible? If God plants a passion and a dream in your heart – it is possible. Be certain, it will take work, but it is possible.
I found Daniel Norris on Twitter as I searched for something profound to write to you about your dreams. I think you’d like him, he’s quite a character! He’s a MLB pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and he tweeted this “ The size of your dream may be the most accurate measure of the size of your God. Dream Big.”
We tend to hesitate to dream big because it’s scary. Perhaps we feel like we may fail or be ridiculed. People may judge. And so, what happens, is most people fall into the trap of settling, and thinking small. Like Bob and the frying pan.
Sadly, most people talk themselves out of chasing their dreams. Look at the people around you. I encourage you to be inspired by those who follow their dreams and motivated by those who don’t.
As your mom, I have a big vision for your life. I’m not sure if all moms have this, but I sure do! I see greatness in you. I see God’s gifts in you and Him working through you. I see the possibilities.
In my quest to inspire you to pursue your dream I’d encourage you to ask yourself a few questions:
1. What is that passion inside you that you will not be satisfied until you accomplish it?
2. Think into the future and what is a realistic time frame for you to accomplish your dream? How do you work toward that on a weekly basis?
3. Who can you align yourself with so that you can learn and grow in the direction of your dream?
4. What is your motivation to fight the “Small Thinking” and Fear that accompanies pursuing your dream?
There are oodles of questions I could list. But these are the backbone that will keep you trekking thru past the hurdles that pop up while you pursue your goal.
This is my 100th blog post. I can’t believe it. And though I haven’t arrived at my goal, I’m on my way and pushed through some “small thinking.” I’ve found some good people to align myself with that encourage me along my way. And when I think that I’m not good enough, God sends someone my way to encourage me. My “why” is that I am doing this because I believe with all my heart He planted this in me.
What has He planted in your heart? Go for it!! You and Christ are an overwhelming force!
I am your biggest fan!
With all my love,
MOM
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Jamie@TheMomGene says
I remember that story of the frying pan! My grandmother used to tell it to me, although her end lesson was “you’ve got to have gumption, girl”. I love that. This is what I want for my kids: the ability to dream and the gumption to make it happen and the resilience to keep going when sometimes the dream doesn’t pan out.
Char says
Jamie, My Mother in Law uses that word too!! She says: “Where’s your gumption?!” We have to have gumption to pursue our dreams.
Michele Morin says
That story will resonate with this house full of fishing boys. And I have a vested interest in communicating that truth to them, because I have been guilty in the past of imagining a small frying pan and arranging my own life around its circumference.
Blessings to you, Char. Thanks for this great story and application.
Char says
I have struggled with that too Michele! Now we’re buying a bigger frying pan! You’re setting a great example for your boys!
Debbie Putman says
Love everything about this post. I’d never heard this story before; thank you for sharing. What a great lesson for your kids…and for me.
Char says
And me too Debbie!!! I always learn when I teach…
Lisa notes says
Ugh. I know I have often thrown out the big fish because of my small frying pan. Thanks for sharing this story, Char. It hits home.
Char says
I think we all have used the smaller frying pan at one time or another!! Let’s upgrade!
Gayl says
This is the second time I’ve visited your blog and each time I have found great encouragement and inspiration. So often we push our dreams aside because of fear. I need to go after my dreams while I still can. So thanks for the encouragement!
Blessings to you!
Char says
Thanks for stopping in Gayl!! Have a great week. And, yes, Go for it!!!
Marilyn Lesniak says
Thanks for hosting and have a great week.
Rebekah DeVall says
That’s a brilliant illustration, Bob and his frying pan tied to expectations. Thank you so much for sharing!
Commenting as part of my challenge: rebekahdevall.wordpress.com/challenge/
Char says
Thanks for stopping by Rebekah!
Patrick Weseman says
Wow, very powerful. Thanks for inspiration. The interesting thing is that I stopped dreaming about stuff for years. I guess it is because everytime I have had a dream to do something it has been knocked down by the people that are closest to me. My parental unit used to knock down my dreams all the time and my ex-wife was famous for it. She actually got some court injunction nine years after our divorce when she found out I was going to change jobs, so I could go back to school and get my Masters degree. It took me three years (and my Masters degree savings) and an appeals court to have it ruled unconstitutional.
Now, I am dreaming about finally getting my Masters degree and I figured out something that the reason people knock my dreams is because they don’t have any or don’t want to anything themselves other than talk about what they are going to do but they never do it and they are scared of people who do things.
Thanks for this.
Char says
Hi Patrick! I’m so excited for you that you are pursuing your Masters! I actually just got mine last year. It’s never too late!!!
Lesley says
This is a great story and a lesson I definitely need to remember. It is easy to put unnecessary limitations on ourselves at times. Visiting from Fresh Market Friday!
Char says
Thanks for visiting Lesley! I like that: unnecessary limitations
Donna Reidland says
These are great truths, not just for sons and daughters, but for us adults, too. Thanks for sharing. I love the “fish” story.
Crystal Twaddell says
Love your thought provoking questions Char! Number 4 is a big one for me. If I could figure that one out…well, I’m sure you know:)
Char says
That’s a biggie Crystal. For me, two large motivators are… trusting my calling and the example I set for my children. Enough to keep me posting!