I am sitting here writing this at “Joe”, a coffee shop in the West Village located on the concrete island of Manhattan. “Oldies” songs are playing from my childhood that remind me of my dad and I just can’t stop singing.

I can’t stop pinching myself either because it feels like I am living in a dream world. But I’ve gotta be honest, all this pinching is inflicting pain… because I am not living in a dream. I am living in my amazing, over the top ridiculous, fun reality.

You see, 4 1/2 years ago while my husband Paul, our eldest child Ezekiel and I were living in Sydney Australia, I woke up from a deep sleep having just had what seemed like a crazy dream… one of those dreams that’s not just a dream but you feel that someday might just be your reality. Yes, it was one of those dreams.

So the dream went like this… Paul, myself and not one but three little kids, were on a subway in New York City on our way home from a service at a church that we had planted. Now at the time, as I mentioned, we only had one child so this seemed to be “craziness in dream land”. I could hear the sound of the clicking and clacking of the subway on the tracks. I saw and felt the wave of people swaying to the movement of the subway car … and I knew that this was in our future. It was vivid and real. I could see these three little people that were my children but not their faces, and I knew in my heart that our family was home.

I woke up with a start and told Paul straight away. I knew it wasn’t a dream caused by too much pizza the night before, but that God was speaking to me… that God was speaking to us.

So what do you do with a dream like that? Well we tucked it away and went on with what was in our hand to do at the time, building the amazing local church where we were serving. If it was truly a dream from God for our lives… He would make it happen no matter what came our way.

So 4 1/2 years later and with the addition of two more children to our family, making a grand total of three, we are here… we are home… we are in New York, the place of my vivid dream that is now our reality.

We have been blessed, sent and sown into a new land by our church back in Sydney. The adventure has begun, my children are in a wonderland of parks, museums, libraries, huge toy stores and rich diverse culture. And not just that, they are called to this city too. Before we got here they were relentless in their questions and desire to just get here. And I can’t help but to start dreaming about their future and what they will see, do and be in 5, 10, 20, 30 years time in this city. All this because Paul and I decided to say “yes” to the dream, count the cost… sell practically everything, leave dear friends and loved ones, our church and maybe even sacrifice having a few little earthly dreams like having a backyard… and walk out the road before before us.

I love that being in this city here and now is God’s plan for us. It was His plan as He created the intricate human fabric of our lives. And I am overwhelmed to serve and love the people here. To see what they need, desire and want… to help them find, uncover, resurrect, or discover their dream and then to live and walk in it.

Related posts:

1. What Would You Give For A City?
2. Paul & Andi Andrew
3. Liberty Church – Launched 2010