Ready, Set, Dream

 May 23, 2021

Our “Ready, Set, Dream” class is winding down for this semester. RSD is, as it’s name implies, a class designed to help Christians figure out how God has wired them, how God places within us desires and skills that often get buried by life’s circumstances, and the steps we can take to begin to recapture the passion and drive to accomplish goals we may have forgotten we have.

I’ve noticed it’s different for younger people than for people my age. When I was young, the whole world lay before me; there were any number of roads I could have travelled. But each time we stand at a fork in the road, the choice we make to follow one path means the other is closed to us. It is possible to retrace our steps if we believe we’ve made a mistake, but humanly speaking, life is not infinite, and if I choose this, I cannot at the same time choose that. Before we were married, the world was full of young women from whom I could choose as a life partner. Once I said “I do,” all the others were immediately  off limits. Choosing one road meant all the others were no longer possible.

When it comes to dreams, how do we navigate between the faith that says “all things are possible with God,” and the reality that at my age I’m never going to be a world-class skier, musician, or even preacher? I don’t want to constrict God, who has a curious habit of stretching us beyond our self-imposed limitations, but neither do I want to waste time pursuing a dream that has virtually zero chances of coming true. For example, I would love to travel—to see the British Cotswolds, the Austrian Alps, the Mediterranean coastal towns of Italy and Greece. Linda however, loves being home. She hates to travel, to be away from our kids and grandkids, so it’s not in the cards for me to do much traveling. I prefer having her by my side.

The real question is, how do I distinguish between my dreams and the dreams God has given me? My friend Willie used to say that we don’t understand the power of “No.” I need to be able to discern those dreams that bubble up from the flesh, ie, my own personal and flawed desires, and those that come from God. I can’t have both, and need to know which is which so I can say “No” to those that are merely rooted in myself. 

The lodestone for me is simple: A dream from God always has as its center Jesus Christ. As Paul writes in Colossians, “all things were made by him and for him.” He must be at the heart of it all. That doesn’t mean that every dream has to be big and of world-shaking importance; just that it honors Christ first and foremost. So what are my dreams? To learn Spanish so I can spend more time in Cuba (This isn’t technically travel; it’s mission); to edit and publish my book of devotionals; to succeed in beekeeping; and to leave a legacy of faithfulness and integrity for my grandchildren. I wouldn’t mind learning to play slap bass along the way, and a few other things as well, some of which must remain private for the time being. 

The pressing issue is, “What steps do I need to take now if I am to accomplish my dreams for tomorrow?” Our class leader Nate puts it this way: “If I am to do “a,” first I must do “b.” He has us repeat this, with a small change: “If I am to do “b,” first I must do “c,” and so on, till we have a starting point achievable today. It takes discipline and determination, but no good dream is ever accomplished in spare time and leftover energy. 

I have fewer years ahead of me than are behind me, so if I am going to accomplish anything worthwhile, I have to get better at the power of “No,” but also at the power of “Go.” There’s no time to waste!