Let’s be honest, the life you lead isn’t what you’ve always dreamt. And maybe the person you’ve become isn’t who you’ve always imagined. Sure, you can clean it up. You can work longer, love harder, and eat better. You can scrub the surface of your life until it gleams and still never address the fact that somehow you lost sight of who you really are and what you’re living for. Is this the life … Is this the life you were meant to live?
As the child of Nigerian immigrants in the UK, author and speaker Jo Saxton knows firsthand how quickly the world can cause us to doubt our dreams and question who we are. She understands how easily we can exchange our true child-of-God selves for an identity built on lies, guilt, and brokenness.
In this powerful book, Jo examines Biblical figures and shares her personal story as she invites you to turn to the One who knows you intimately and loves you deeply. He sees all you’ve struggled to hide. He hears the voice inside you that others have silenced. He knows the potential and purpose that no one valued. He longs to redeem the story of your life and set you on the path to reclaim The Dream of You. Are you ready?
more
There were many good things about this book. I dog-eared 14% of the pages and underlined much more!
I was a bit disappointed, however, in the scope of the book. First of all, the main title is a bit vague. I didn’t exactly know what kind of dreams she would be talking about. One of my charismatic friends asked if it was about dream interpretation. The subtitle is absolutely essential to understanding the premise, but I felt that the book really focused on the “Let Go of Broken Identities” part and barely touched on the “and Live the Life You Were Made For” part in the last chapter.
Maybe it’s because I, for the most part, have already begun the journey of letting go of my “broken identities” and am now ready for finding my purpose. I have been searching for my unique purpose for at least 4 years now, and I was hoping to get a clearer idea of how I could be used in the Kingdom. Jo touches on that in the last chapter, but I want so much more! I hope she writes the rest of that journey next. For those of us who were saved early in life, “where you were before Jesus redeemed our identity” isn’t very revealing, if we can even remember what we were like before Him. I can’t. That doesn’t help me in knowing which kind of ministry or niche to “share my story” in, as my story is boring compared to Jo’s and others with dramatic childhoods.
However, for what it was, it was good. Jo invites us along her journey – sometimes a bit unrelatable to me – to realize some of the lies we’ve believed about who we are. She invites us to step into our God-given identities of a child of God and a work in progress. Perfectionism and abandonment are the two main broken identities Jo worked through, but she mentions Bible characters who struggled with other things, too.
I’m not sure how applicable this book by itself is – I understand that the study guide is where that comes in – boy, I wish I had bought it! But I can still recommend this book as a starting point, especially for newer Christians or those still struggling with their pasts.
Favorite quotes:
“When you are uncertain about who you are, you will believe – wrongly – that your value has to be earned. You will try to prove your worth through achievement.” (p. 5)
“For many of us, knowing Jesus has not pointed the way to finding out who we truly are. How can that be possible? … we assume we now have to overachieve in the realms of spirituality and faith. As a result, our identity in Christ becomes yet another task to add to an over-crowded list of jobs to get done.” (p. 12)
“ His redemption of your life has transformative implications for your identity.” (p. 19)
“[Like Jacob,] It has been a long, hard session of wrestling with God to come to the end of myself and yet not let go until God blesses me. Moving forward has meant walking with a limp, aware of my weakness and vulnerability.” (p. 38)
“Fortunately, it is not your job to manufacture peace and hope. It’s not even your responsibility to understand God. It is God’s joy to get it through to you. God is willing and able to redeem every part of your life, even your picture of Him.” (p. 89)
“[A mirror] might reveal a glimpse of how you feel as revealed in your facial expression and body language. But it can’t tell who you are or determine your value. It’s a mirror. It doesn’t know you.” (p. 98)
“[J]ust because I wasn’t feeling changed didn’t mean I wasn’t being changed.” (p. 106)
“God is present with us in the wilderness because this stage is essential to our faith journey.” (p. 125)
“Wandering in the wilderness exposed the truth that in order to be fully free, the Israelites didn’t just need to get out of Egypt. They needed to get Egypt out of them.” (p. 135)
“At all times, God was there, walking through my valley of dry bones… When grief left me gasping, He was my air.” (p. 151)
We, like the Jewish Pharisees, are “always pushing, driving, and striving yet never arriving.” (p. 161)
“Practice not only transformed their skills but also transformed them. Practice created shared passion, connection, and fun… practices such as prayer, Bible study, worship, and service” (p. 188-9)
“[A] key place He sends us to is the life we already have.” (p. 213)
(I received a copy for free from Proverbs31. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own, as was the decision to write this review.)
I am so glad I read The Dream of You. Jo Saxton has given readers a gift with this book. There’s many books one could read about embracing our God-given identity, but she’s given us stories and scripturally-based truths that are fabulously inviting. I appreciate how she took me into some well-known Biblical stories with fresh insight. There are so many passages that led me into moments of “that’s so true” and “thank you, Lord.” The Dream of You is an invitation to love and embrace the wonderfully created person God designed me to be.