I sometimes sadly reflect on the rebukes some teachers, or even parents, give to their children saying, "get your head out of the clouds!" or jeers of, "oh, you're just a dreamer." Well I say, "dream on!". I've always been a dreamer, a man of dreams and visions, of hopes for the future and a brighter day--and those dreams have led me around the world! From as early as 12, I remember pondering the scripture from Proverbs 29:18 that reads "were there is no vision the people perish." I still remember my pastor's sermon on the topic wherein he told us all the we needed to have goals for our life, a path to follow forward. Otherwise we were like the children of Israel wandering in the desert going around and around and around with no real direction. Or perhaps worse, we just sit there, in that same old spot till we die of utter stagnation (or is that petrifaction?). Perhaps we are going in circles just waiting for a generation of scoffers to die off before we really move forward (that's what happened to those Israelites who didn't have a forward vision! They were so stuck-in-the-traditional-mud-of-Egypt that they couldn't see the reality of the promised land!).
We are often scolded for being dreamers, unrealistic: these qualities are considered "youthful" (as in immature). Some of us once dreamed (the once-dreamers are the saddest folk). Failed dreams have caused many to become skeptics and in their disillusionment they simply give up, sit down and never get going again: couch-potatoes who were once the football stars of yesteryear, now resting on yesterdays laurels because they have none today. Many end up simply living out their lives in the past or in the "good old days." They only have ancient memories to live with until they die. Oh, don't get me wrong, eventually all we ever have in our last days is our memories--so, since that is the case, MAKE MEMORIES! Don't limit memories to those of the ancient and distant past! Find your progressive vision, one that pushes you to grow and moves you toward a promised land! Experience and live life! Some poor souls never start the journey because they know (or believe) they will never arrive at their "promised land." Perhaps you've said to yourself, "why start at what I cannot achieve?" Perhaps your right, perhaps you will never arrive at the destination you originally set out to find--but you will find new and wondrous things on the journey. You will grow, experience, and succeed at actually living life. As they say, living life is not a destination it's a journey...so, move it and travel on toward life!
In the Genesis account we are given six days of new creation and one day to look back and enjoy it, perhaps this is a good guide for all the days of our lives. 6/7 of the time work toward your future and create a new world for yourself, and 1/7 of the time simply enjoy what your done and relax. In this way you will see what you have already achieved; you will see how you are moving, changing, growing and really living life!
OK friends, my meaning is simple. Let's continue to believe tomorrow's hope, that vision that moves us toward a wondrous future! It doesn't have to be perfectly defined, it just needs invigorate and motivate us toward a shared goal. What is wonderful is that regardless to how long it takes, we will grow in the process!
