To Dream or not to Dream
"The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It isn't a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for." -- Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays (emphasis mine.)
(Awesome photo from Paul Simpson)
Sometimes, I feel that I've forgotten how to dream; I feel that I've become accustomed to the status quo. And that bugs me.
Sometimes, I feel that dreams are selfish, it's all about what I want.
But then I remember: "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." -- Psalm 37:4
God isn't trying to ruin your life, He wants to give you the desires of your heart! (This also means that He'll mold your heart to be more like His, so that you'll desire what He desires, but that's for another post.)
God knows what you desire, and He wants it to happen... perhaps not the way that YOU want it to happen, but He does want it to happen.
I was listening about a very famous dreamer today, and a couple quick thoughts came to my mind.
- 1. Don't be a punk about your dreams. It'll tick people off.
- 2. Don't tell your dreams to people who hate you, or who want to see you fail. They'll do everything possible stop you. Confide in a few people, perhaps just one person, then shut up!
- 3. There WILL be "hiccups." Things WON'T always go the way you plan.
- 4. God is with you. He's preparing you, getting you ready for a dream bigger than you could possibly imagine.
You figure out which dreamer I'm talking about? Why yes, it IS Joseph. (Genesis 37 and onwards.)
Joseph had a dream. He dreamed that He'd be huge. But he was a punk about it, and bragged about it to his brothers, who already didn't like him. (He just ignored thoughts #1 and #2) Then, he was sold into slavery, and accused of raping an official's wife in Egypt (That's what we like to call a "hiccup.") But, the good news is that God was with him. (#4) He was preparing Joseph for something much bigger than being famous; He was preparing Joseph to be the saviour of not only his family, not only his country, but quite possibly the entire known world.
The tragedies involved in living out your dream may be great, but the tragedy of never having a dream will always be greater.
