Dream…

“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” ~T.E. Lawrence

As you would know the word dream has more than one meaning.  The definition which is most suitable for our discussion is: “a cherished aspiration, ambition or ideal.”

Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of non-discrimination and an independent India led him to engage in a civil rights movement employing nonviolent resistance. India became independent in 1947. Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. Nelson Mandela had a dream of a South Africa free of apartheid. A dream which led to him being imprisoned for 27 years. Apartheid did eventually end and in 1994 Mandela became president of South Africa.

Martin Luther King Jr’s dream of equality for all men and a United States of America where segregation and racism does not exist led him to become one of the most prominent civil rights leaders of our time. There is no doubt his actions and that of so many others contributed to the eventual passing of The Civil Rights Act of 1964. King had a dream that his children would one day live in a nation where they will “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” When things got tough and when a previous attempt was made on his life he did not abandon his dream but persevered. He eventually died for his dream. King is quoted as once saying, “if a man has not discovered something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”

Don’t be Afraid to Dream

My prayer for you is that you are not afraid to dream.

You most probably are no Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela and you don’t have to be, but I encourage you to dream and to dream big!

I don’t mean dream while you are sleeping, even though I would want you to have sweet dreams at night 😊. I mean allow yourself to dream; dream about your life, what you would like to do, what you would like to become and where you would like to be. If you haven’t already, have a dream and a vision for your life and encourage someone to do the same. If you already have, press on and don’t ever give up, even in the face of difficulty. In this context, vision refers to a vivid mental image of your future.

Many of us we have been taught by society and others that we can’t do certain things, we cannot hold certain positions, we cannot attain certain things, and so we are afraid to dream; but that is a lie. Don’t you ever believe that there is anything you cannot do. Phil 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.  Nothing is impossible for you as long as it is within God’s plan and purpose for your life. If you can conceive it, then you can believe it, if you can believe it, then you can achieve it!

For most of my life I felt insecure and unsure about my purpose. I lacked confidence in my gifts and abilities and I did not allow myself to even dream.  That eventually changed when I embarked on a journey of personal growth and development and made a decision to step boldly into the rest of my life and my purpose. Contrary to what we may believe, it is never too late in life for anything.

Don’t just dream but let your dreams become goals, your goals become plans of action and your plans executed become your reality. Outside of this, you will just be daydreaming. Share your dreams with others but be careful who you choose to share them with. Some people are natural dream killers. You want to share your dreams with persons who will dream with you, encourage you, stand with you, and who would provide you with wise counsel. Author and Pastor, Myles Munroe advises, “many dreams die because they are shared with the wrong people”.

Don’t be Discouraged

Maybe God has given you a dream and a vision and you have been working at it for some time and not seeing the results you would like. Maybe you are tired and frustrated and feel like giving up. I say to you do not give up. Keep at it! I love the promise of God found in Habakkuk 2:3, a promise which we can apply to our lives and in which we could take solace during times of doubt and frustration. It says:

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.” (NKJV)

The Good News Translation puts it this way:

“Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it to come true. But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will come true. It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly take place, and it will not be delayed”.

Here are a few other quotes that I find helpful:

 “You are worthy of your wildest dreams”. ~ Nicole Gullaume

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt 

“The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on the success but on significance, and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning” ~ Oprah Winfrey.    

So my friend be a dreamer! Dream, dream, dream!!     

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you enjoyed it please feel free to share it with a friend or leave me a comment. You can even subscribe so that you are notified each time I make a post. Till next time, dream on! 😊😊😊