Keep on Dreaming (Even if it Breaks Your Heart)

Way back on the radio dial
A fire got lit inside a bright-eyed child
Every note just wrapped around his soul
From steel guitars to Memphis all the way to rock-n-roll

Did you ever have that moment like the lyric in this song — a fire lit inside, every note wrapping around your soul?

From an early age, I fell in love with words. Not just in books, but everywhere. I was drawn to country music since before I can remember, not just because of the sound, but because country music is all about telling a story. And I’m a sucker for a good story. I was stirred by Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing” and laughed at Lee Ann Womack’s “I’ll Think of a Reason Later”.

One of the first books I read as a kid on my own brought me into an enchanted place: Black Beauty. I read it under the covers, in the back of the car, and brought it to school with me. I remember the magic that took place on mere pieces of paper, the longing that welled in a seven-year-old’s soul. I was transported to a world that I wanted to be a part of.

I think we all have had moments like this in our childhood, or even as adults: the thrill of your first touchdown, the excitement of successfully organizing an event, the way the notes wrapped around your soul as you learned to play the guitar, the victory of conquering your first calculus problem or the way that all of those horrific science terms just made sense to you.

Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart
Some dreams stay with you forever,
Drag you around but bring you back to where you were.
Some dreams keep on getting  better,
Gotta keep believing if you wanna know for sure.

This has become my mantra: keep on dreaming. Even if doors get slammed in your face or you have to go in a different direction, it’s important to always keep hope alive because God created us to do something uniquely suited for each of us.

What was it for you that “lit a fire” within you? And what inspires you to keep on dreaming?