He charges out the door with a roar, “Dad, can I catch that pheasant?!”
Door slams. Wild bird calls ensue. Moments pass. Door bursts open again.
Small Son rushes upstairs and procures from his room a long stick and a piece of yarn.
To make a bow, of course. To catch that pheasant!
He’s dreaming again. Big, boyish dreams that come true only in his imagination.
I let him dream. Refuse to tell him that he’ll never get that bird. Resist the urge to remind him that creatures with wings have a much quicker get-away than those without wings.
He wouldn’t care anyway. He’d still chase that bird. It is so. close.
He comes in for supper with the announcement that he “almost got it!” But his bow malfunctioned.
Of course. Maybe next time…
I’m not going to be the one to pop his bubble. I’m going to let him dream. Encourage him to dream even higher. See that bird on the table feeding his family someday. See it mounted in taxidermy fashion. Possible? Of course. And much more.
Because by then he’ll have the {real} tools he needs to fulfill his dream. He’ll have the wisdom to choose the right approach {camouflaged in a tree stand instead of charging headlong toward bird}. He’ll have the resources to work with and he’ll know when the time is right.
He’ll catch that bird.
As I pull potato fries from the oven and slide a cake in to take their place, I see him as a man bringing home his bird.
So proud. So skilled. So useful.
I see myself. I see you. I wonder…have you stopped dreaming? Please don’t. We all have times in our lives when it seems that every dream is dashed or taken away. Those seasons can last for years. I know. You know, too.
Dreams come from surprising sources.
Life experience. Blessings. Opportunities. People. Lessons learned. Trials.
Yes, trials.
Trials create the best kind of dreams. They are fashioned by God. Born out of hardship.
Oh, the miracle! What once crushed the heart and squeezed the life out of a soul now brings refreshment. Praise. Thankfulness. Worship.
No one on earth can make you stop dreaming…except yourself.
Being a dreamer doesn’t mean that you are discontented where God has you. It just means you have passion and vision to do something for God- to make a difference.
Wonderful post, I throughally enjoyed reading this encouragement to dream. I often dream of a closer relationship with the Lord and of Him being able to use my life in some way to impact others but then get bogged down in the negative thoughts of wishing I had started this quest sooner and reget over the missed opportunities of the past. I love the last phrase, “no one can make you stop dreaming… except yourself”
I think most of us wish we had started earlier dreaming and doing for God. But all of life is a learning experience, isn’t it?! It’s much easier to dream when you’re facing forward! 🙂 I know God IS using you now and will continue to. 🙂