When the Dream Feels Too Far Gone

In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises.

Hebrews 6:12, AMPC

I love to laugh. In fact, if you visit my church, you’ll probably hear me before you see me. I’m that person who laughs a little too loudly at the pastor’s quirky sayings—unapologetically. I suppose I could be more refined, but I cherish the freedom of unrestrained joy. Give me a clever line or a funny moment, and I can’t seem to help myself.

I still remember most of the lyrics from the scene in Mary Poppins with Uncle Albert floating around the ceiling in a fit of giggles. Like Uncle Albert, I’m no “squeakeler” either. Mine’s more of a full-on, throw-your-head-back kind of laugh. And while I could probably be more lady-like about it, I just love not holding back the full joy I get from comments I find hysterical.

Joy-Filled Laughter

I think God understands this about me and approves. The Bible talks about the benefits of being full of joy. Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV) says, “A merry heart does good, like medicine,” and Psalms 126:2 paints a beautiful picture of joy:

Then were our mouths filled with laughter and our tongues with singing. Then they said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them.

Psalms 126:2, AMPC

Laughter has power. It lifts heavy hearts. It helps us breathe again when life feels tight around the edges. Laughter reminds us that joy still exists—even in the hard seasons.

But not all laughter is rooted in joy.

Hope for Dreams that Feel Impossible

Have you ever laughed at something—not because it was funny—but because it felt too impossible to believe?

Sarah did.

In Genesis 18, God told Abraham that his wife, decades past childbearing years, would give birth to a son. Sarah heard it and laughed—not with joy, but with disbelief. She laughed quietly to herself, perhaps with the ache of someone who’s long given up hope. She wasn’t scoffing at God maliciously; she just couldn’t imagine such a thing being true. Quiet, hidden doubt wrapped in a chuckle.

At her age, pregnancy was unthinkable. And honestly, I get it. I’m over halfway to Sarah’s age, and the thought of baby-proofing a house or carrying a diaper bag again sounds exhausting. But this wasn’t just a random hope for Sarah. It was a promise from God, one she and Abraham waited on for 25 years.[1] They waited so long, in fact, that Abraham tried to force the promise on his own—leading to heartbreak and complications that outlived them both.

Abraham’s name meant he was the father of multitudes. Genesis 17:5 says, “No longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (MEV). Can you imagine the laughingstock Abraham might have been to his neighbors—that his very name meant he was a father of many, yet he wasn’t even a father of one?

I’ve had seasons like that too—when what I was believing for seemed laughably out of reach. Where trusting God with my dream felt harder than letting it die.

Trusting God with the Deepest Desires of Your Heart

Years ago, my husband and I were living in a home we didn’t own on land that wasn’t ours, with no foreseeable way to change any of it. We couldn’t sell it. We couldn’t leave it. And we certainly couldn’t claim it. We were stuck—physically and emotionally.

And while I tried to be content, deep down I longed for more—a home of our own. A place where we could welcome guests, host family, and breathe a little deeper.

But the dream felt laughable.

And maybe you know that feeling, too.

Maybe you’ve silenced your own longing, told yourself it’s unrealistic, selfish to keep praying for, or that it’s just “not meant to be.”
But what if… it still is?

What if God hasn’t forgotten?

Here’s what God taught me in that season:
He sees the desires of our hearts—not as silly or selfish—but as sacred.

Standing on God’s Promises When Nothing Makes Sense

If it matters to you, it matters to Him. Not because He gives us everything we want, but because He delights in placing dreams in us—and walking with us as they grow.

So I got specific with God. I wrote the desires of my heart, and beside each one, I wrote a verse of Scripture. Not to manipulate God into doing what I wanted, but to anchor my faith in something stronger than circumstances. I wanted to pray with confidence and hope. I wanted to remind myself that I wasn’t crazy for still believing. It wasn’t selfish to want something more or something different.

It didn’t happen overnight. But I didn’t wait as long as Sarah did, either.

And eventually, like Sarah, I held my promise in my hands.

There is an old saying, “He who laughs last, laughs best.” Sarah had laughed at God’s renewed promise of a child. But she had the best laugh—the kind that bubbles up from gratitude, awe, and wonder—when she was holding her son. She laughed the kind of laugh that replaces doubt with delight.

In Genesis 21, Sarah says something so beautiful:

“God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

Genesis 21:6, CSB

Not at her. With her. This is the laugh of joyful, long-awaited victory; the laugh shared by those who have been believing with and praying for you.

Sweet friend, what’s the dream that still lives quietly in your heart?
Does it feel too impossible to even hope for anymore? Don’t label it as too late. And don’t believe the lie that you’re too old, too far gone, or too forgotten.

God sees you. He knows the deep desires of your heart. And the God who made Sarah laugh hasn’t changed. He’s still in the business of fulfilling promises.

When You Finally Hold the Promise in Your Hands

Maybe you’ve told yourself it’s “just not meant to be.” But what if—just like Sarah, just like me—it is meant to be, only on God’s timetable, not yours?

If that desire aligns with God’s Word… if it reflects His character and draws you closer to His heart… then don’t bury it. Don’t mock it. Don’t laugh it off.

Write it down. Find scripture to anchor it. Pray with boldness.
And live with expectancy.

Because when the promise is finally fulfilled, your laughter will ring with joy—not the kind that mocks what once seemed impossible, but the kind that celebrates a God who never forgets what He promised. Your laughter—real, deep, joyful laughter—may be closer than you think.

And believe me… that kind of laughter is worth the wait.

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[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Abraham and Sarah: Faith and the Promise (Genesis 21:1–7), Wiersbe BE Bible Study Series, Bible Gateway, accessed July 10, 2025, https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/wiersbe-be-bible-study/abraham-sarah-faith-promise-21-1-7.