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DREAMERS
ALL
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Not a single sparrow falls
to the ground without your Father knowing.
Every hair on your head has been counted.
So there is no need to be afraid. (Matthew. 10:29-31).
Many years ago, someone wrote
a song entitled "I'm
A Dreamer, Aren't We All?" Sure we are! We're
all walking down "The Street of Dreams" (another
song title). And, sooner or later, we may all
find ourselves walking down "The Boulevard
of Broken Dreams" (still another song title).
What's in a dream? A desire for something more?
A desire for something that seems unattainable?
A desire for something better out of life?
It's all of that and more, I suppose. But, however
we define it, surely it can be said, that our
dreams reflect our goals in life ...
- The girl of my dreams.
- The man of my dreams.
- The dream house.
- The upward mobility dream.
- The one big, happy family dream.
- The dream ticket on election day.
- The rich and famous dream.
- The happily ever-after dream.
In themselves, however well intentioned they
may be, however worth pursuing they may be, they
may be nothing more than nightmares if they reflect
our ultimate goal in life.
When the dream house or the dream career or
the dream retirement or even the happy family
dream becomes the living end, it will do nothing
to enhance life.
Jesus' first disciples were the ultimate in
dreamers. They were visionaries. They wanted to
see the big picture. And Jesus showed them how
to focus on the best of all dreams — the
one thing needful for achieving wholeness of life
and fulfillment as human persons. "Follow
Me," Jesus said. Jesus' ultimate goal was
to do the Will of the Father. Therefore, He bids
us to follow His example. Follow His example of
loving service to all mankind. Follow His example
and your dream for more out of life will come
true.
The story is told of a New York City school
teacher whose life in the big city was becoming
rather nightmarish. He was determined to get first-class
help so he visited the office of a psychiatrist
with a fashionable Park Avenue address ...
When he entered the beautifully-decorated reception
room, he found no one in attendance. Then he saw
two beautifully paneled doors labeled "Men" and "Women." He
pushed open the door marked "Men" and
found himself in a second room with two doors,
one labeled "Introverts" the other "Extroverts." He
entered the "Introverts" door and found
himself in a third room with two doors. These
were designated "Those making one-hundred
thousand dollars a year or more" and "Those
making less than one-hundred thousand dollars
a year."
He walked through "The less than one-hundred
thousand dollars a year" door and found himself
right back on the Park Avenue sidewalk.
In our materialistic society, all too often
we realize that we are being evaluated on the
basis of our financial standing. When someone
says, "What is he worth?" or "What
is she worth?" we take it to mean how much
money does he or she make?" And that's a
bad state of affairs. But it's even worse to fall
into the trap of evaluating ourselves on that
basis.
Whenever there are people out there who genuinely
care for each other, God is being served. And
that's no daydream.
Whenever they are compassionate toward each
other, God is being served. And that's no daydream.
Whenever they sacrifice for each other, God
is being served. And that's no daydream.
An impetuous young man spotted a beautiful young
woman walking through the park . . . He began to
follow her. After a time, the young woman turned
and confronted him. "Why are
you following me?" she demanded. "Because
you are so beautiful, because you are my dream-girl," he
replied. "I'm madly in love with you and
wish you to be mine." The young woman replied, "Why
don't you look behind you and see my younger sister?
She is far more beautiful than I." The young
man quickly wheeled about and saw no one. "You're
putting me on," he said. To which the reply
came, "If you were so madly in love with
me then why did you turn around?"
If we come together hoping, desiring, dreaming
of a better and New Life through knowing God,
there is no need to turn around. Our God is within
us always, inviting us to enter into the New Life
of our most fervent dreams.
Have we found the way to have our dreams come
true? Do we recognize now is the time to enter
into God's Kingdom? Or do we turn around in search
of every passing allurement?
This is not a matter of rejecting the world
in favor of the Kingdom. Rather, it is a matter
of embracing the world in the spirit of the Kingdom
of Love.
Today's Lesson is inviting us once again to
let our lives fall into place through faith in
a loving God who is always present ...
Not a single sparrow falls to the ground without
your Father knowing. Every hair on your head has
been counted. So there is no need to be afraid.
(Matthew. 10:29-31).
Someone has observed that a Gospel text such
as this explains little but changes everything.
It does not explain the mystery of God, but it
does liberate us from fear that can paralyze the
spirit. Moreover, it transforms our most fearful
nightmares into the most pleasant of dreams.
Our daydreams, so called, reflect our goal in
life. May we dream always of our one true goal
as children of our God,: that we love one another
as the Father has loved us.
Together we echo the old song title, "I'm
A Dreamer, Aren't We All?"
Blessings,
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