Do you allow yourself to dream? To consider the desires of your heart and bring them before God? Do you let yourself feel those desires, let the ache of unquenched passion push you forward? Or do you find it easier to ignore desire? Suppress it? Pretend it doesn’t exist?

These questions have swirled in my mind since the beginning of the year, when a conversation with a coaching client reminded me how much focusing on desire, a dream, can cost a writer. Desire often leads to disappointment. Even to rejection.

When dreams you believe God has planted in your soul lead to disappointment, what do you do?

Lord, I wondered this morning, what do we do with disappointment? With rejection?

The small still voice within gave me a response that I sensed came from Jesus: Keep walking toward me.

The picture that floated to my mind was of Peter, eyes focused on Jesus, stepping out of a boat to walk toward Him.

On water.

I realized that Peter left that boat because of desire—a burning desire for Jesus. The desire to believe the power of Jesus was so great that Peter pushed aside not only fear but common sense as well, to follow Him.

To believe you won’t sink when you step out of a boat in the middle of a storm-tossed sea makes no sense.

Ah . . .

Even to us dreamers, the dream to write and publish books sometimes feels as if it defies common sense. The competition is mind-blowing. How is it possible to be visible—let alone successful—in a market clamoring with writers, including those who publish at will while unconcerned with honing their craft, with refining their art?

For the writer who is also a Christian, the creative desire is often about so much more than writing and publishing books. The longing is to believe so fully in the power of Jesus that faith supersedes common sense.

If publishing your book and impacting readers with its message are dreams God has placed in your heart, move forward in faith, dear writer.

Storms may rage, and waves may swell. But with eyes focused on Jesus, you can walk on water.

If your gaze shifts from Jesus to circumstances causing you to feel like you might drown, look back to Him. He will be there, hand held out to save you. “O you of little faith,” He’ll whisper, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31 ESV).

Will you keep walking toward Jesus even though doing so seems to make no sense?

Or will you succumb to the waves and, gasping for air, swim back to the boat?

If your desire is truly for Jesus, keep your eyes focused on Him, and keep walking . . .