The Lord gives, the Lord takes away

WARNING: LONG!!!

(From "The Dream Giver")
Ordinary started up the mountain again, his step light. He couldn't wait to discover what the Dream Giver had in store for him.
Before long, Ordinary emerged at a summit. He found himself standing on a broad table of rock, gazing at a glorious sight - a river bleow, then a wide valley, and above it, all along the far horizon, a gleaming riboon of shining hills.
"The Land of Promise!" Ordinary gasped. "It has to be!"
Yes, he heard the Dream Giver say.
Ordinary let out a shout of victory. "I made it! My Big Dream is right over there!" he yelled.
Yes.
Ordinary was overcome with happiness. His Big Dream was finally within reach. Oh, how he wished that Best Friend and his Parents and every Nobody in Familiar could be here to see what he was seeing at this moment!
Ordinary, said the Dream Giver.
"Yes, " said Ordinary.
Give me your Dream.
"What do you mean?" Ordinary asked. "It's my Dream. You're the one who gave it to me."
Yes. And now I'm asking you to give it back.
Ordinary was shocked, but he didn't even have to think. "I can't," he told the Dream Giver. "And I won't."
***
Ordinary paced back and forth along the rim of the summit, trying to understand what had just happened. Why would the Dream Giver want to take away his Big Dream? How could he even ask? Especially now, when Ordinary had come so far.
It wasn't fair. It wasn't even right.
Then Ordinary had an idea. Maybe there was a way out.
"Do I have to give it back?" he asked.
No, the Dream Giver said. Some choose not to.
So he had a choice. He could keep his Dream. But instead of relief at the thought, Ordinary felt confused and sad. What was he going to do?
He slumped down on the rock. He thought for a long while. Finally, he saw what was at stake.
He could please the Dream Giver and surrender his Dream. Or he could go against the Dream Giver's wishes and keep his Dream, but risk losing the Dream Giver's pleasure.
The choice broke his heart.
Time passed. Ordinary thought, and thought some more. The sun set and rose again.
In the morning light, his eyes fell on a smooth, flat stone nearby. Picking it up, he noticed that the stone fit perfectly in his palm. Then he saw a word etched into its surface. Remember.
What could it mean? he wondered. Was thr stone a message from the Dream Giver or from another Dreamer? What should he remember?
Holding the stone, Ordinary found himself thinking back. He remembered Champion and Faith. They must have faced this choice. What would they say to him now?
He remembered the returning Dreamers. He could still hear their sad and bitter voices. They couldn't have surrendered their Dreams here - they didn't even trust the Dream Giver.
Over and over he turned the stone in his palm. Finally, his thoughts turned to the Dream Giver. The Dream Giver had always kept his promises. He had always been good to Ordinary, even when he was nowhere in sight and nothing seemed to make sense.
Then Ordinary knew what he had to do - no, what he wanted to do.
"I'm surrendering my Dream to you, Dream Giver. I've decided that it's you that I can't go on without," he wrote in his journal. Then he left it open on the rock, and began his slow descent to the river below.
***
Later that day, Ordinary reached the river. No one waited for him there. He had no Dream or plan now. Yet he felt a deep peace.
He waded into the river and swam across. At the far bank he climbed out. And the first thing he saw was his journal, lying open on the grass.
His heart racing, he picked it up and read:
"Ordinary, I am giving you back your Dream. Now you can use it to serve me. Now you can achieve truly Great Things. And I am with you always."

Luke 15:33 - In the same way, not one of you can be my disciple unless you are willing to give up everything you have.

Lord, you gave me a dream years ago, and I've been working toward it ever since with everything I've got. Now You've taken it, it seems. Lord, I give it over to you - but it's so very hard to do. I would rather be your disciple than fulfil my dreams. I know that my dreams need to be Your dreams - without that they can never succeed.

Give me the strength to resist trying to wrest them out of Your hands and cry "Mine, all mine!" Give me a willing spirit to trust You completely. Show me where you want me to place my feet toward the future You have planned for me.