Everyone dreams. We dream about what could be and what should be. We dream about a better future. We dream about deeper friendships and making a more meaningful impact in the world. The ideal often captivates our thinking, but many of us make little effort to order our lives around those dreams. Why is that?

I don’t know all of the reasons, but one reason could be that we discount the place where dreams are built. We assume great dreams come from great places. We think only a certain kind of person can dare to dream big dreams. We often fear dreaming from where we are.

Thankfully, we see in Joseph’s life (Genesis 37) that big dreams can grow in some of the most difficult and unexpected circumstances. Consider the place God birthed a dream in Joseph:

• The dream began in the heart of a 17-year-old boy.
Joseph was born as the eleventh of twelve sons of Israel in a small place called Canaan. Big dreams can begin in small places.

• The dream began in the heart of a young shepherd.
Joseph was no king. He was no rising star. He was no man of privilege. He was not educated or prepared for greatness. He was a young boy who spent most of his time with farm animals. Obscure places are no obstacle for great dreams.

• The dream began in the heart of a young man in a dysfunctional family.
Joseph’s father favored him, but his brothers hated him. Difficult families are complicated but not uncommon. Sometimes conflict can actually clarify big dreams.

• The dream began in an environment of resistance.
No one applauded Joseph or affirmed his dream. As far as we know, Joseph never experienced the encouragement a dreamer would want. No communication techniques or improved timing could have warmed his brothers to his dream. Great dreams often begin with small rewards.

The question is not, “Where does my dream begin?” The better question is, “Who birthed this dream within me?” Great dreams are created in the heart of God and then revealed to us where we are. Joseph did not create his dream. God did that. And then God revealed that dream to him. God’s work in us—His dream for us—is never restricted by our place or by our station in life. Instead, God reveals the dream to us through our relationship with Him.

Joseph was no average Joe because even from his small, obscure farm, he listened to the dream God put in his heart. So where does the dream begin? It begins wherever God finds you.

Question—Where were you when God’s dream for you became clear?