What is a dream? A dream I’m talking about is the cherished thought or desire. Dream is a noun. I’ve never really thought about what my dream or dreams might be. My mom called me a dreamer many times. I’m sure more times than I would want to recall. The tone in which I would hear myself being called a dreamer sounded so negative to me. So I kinda thought while growing up being a dreamer was bad. So I decided to stick to what I knew I could always deliver or what I knew I was capable of delivering. At whatever I’m supposed to deliver. I can remember the hurt of loosing something that I thought was a dream come true. Man, talkin’ about some roller coaster rides. So why dream if it will never come true. As far back as I can remember as a boy and up to this day I’ve never made a wish on a birthday candle. Why? It never comes true. At night when I was supposed to be sleeping I would dream of being an astronaut like Col. Steve Austin. For everyone born after 1974 Col. Steve Austin was the six-million dollar man. I would dream of being one of the Hardy Boys. Man, Sean Cassidy had cool hair. So I would dream of my hair being long and straight with feathered bangs. Cool huh? It never happened. I had too much hair! I thought I was cursed. Once again what I dream just never seems to come true. So why dream? I’ll just get let down and become disappointed. Most of my life was just like this. I would get so close to being number #1 and then fall into second or third.
I made my mind up early. I mean early. I’m talking 5th grade early. I was going to be good at everything. Anything someone else could do I would be able join in and be right beside them. I told myself there will be a time that I could do everything. I bet this is really starting to come together for some of you. I bet this explains a lot of things about me. I tell you I was so obsessed with believing that I could do everything. I would practice for hours at something. In the 6th grade there was a boy that would always be the fastest in class. I got tired of it. I would dream of beating him and everyone thinking I was better. After thinking all day long I finally started my plan. I used my dog who was my best friend at the time. You guessed it. I would dream of havin’ so many friends. I would throw a stick in the air and try to beat my dog to the stick. My goal was to beat him to the stick. I think after two weeks of doing this every night my dog finally let me reach the stick first. If my dog was able to talk I’m sure he would say “Dude, go ahead if it means that much to ya.” Then the big day came. Get on your mark. Get set. Go! I ran like everything in me. I could see no one in front of me. As I crossed the finish line I heard “Collins second.” It wasn’t over. We had to turn and run two more times. I won the final two heats. What happened was that the practice built my endurance. What a turning point in me. I realized that preparing was not about winning but staying with the pace. You may be saying sure, right Chuck. Typical, you’re always trying to make something out of nothing. I’m smiling as I’m writing this. This may not be something to you but it was for me. I felt so good about myself. I remember running of the bus and telling my mom and she just smiled and told me to “Run into the back room and grab a jar of peaches.” If I was slow she would say “I thought you were the fastest, hurry up.” So why tell anyone a dream or accomplishment if they can’t share the moment.
I went through a majority of life believing that I didn’t need to be first I just needed to do enough to pass. Passing would get me through to the next door. That’s all I really need. I just need to be able to keep up. A majority of my life I compared my production to someone else. If it was close to the best then it is good enough for me. I could've been a TJ MAXX store. Almost like the best just a little bit off. This was so far from being real.
Who cares about dreams cause where I came from it is all about survival. First I must survive the hills of Kentucky. Then I must survive being from the hills of Kentucky. Can anyone do that without being a dreamer? I’m realizing right now that survival has been most of my life. Then I got a family. What do I do? I didn’t teach dreams I taught survival. Work hard and survive. Why dream? I remember my dad sharing his dreams and what it was like to have a vision. I didn’t care I didn’t want to let myself down. I was going to at least survive.
Then this great thing happened in my life. An eye opened up. It was like a switch was flipped and I said “I’m going to change.” I asked for a new opportunity and I received a better life. I began to read history of people before me that I realized I could relate too. It was a mixture of survival and hope. I read about young boys refusing to be conformed to the everyday expectations. Even one young man was called a dreamer and was kicked out of his family. I remember reading about an elderly couple that was given a dream and they refused to give up until they seen the dream come true. I began to question myself. “Can dreams really come true?” I read about ordinary people. There were ordinary people that found them surviving and never reaching first place. These ordinary people must have had a switch flipped up in their life. Question: Was it the same switch in my life? Was it a switch that will allow a person to dream again? The same exciting dreams as if I were that young boy that couldn’t fall asleep. It is possible that even though I’m much older (don’t laugh) I can still have a dream? Can I still have a cherished thought or desire? I believe so. This time the dream becomes something else. The dream gave ambition. Ambition is used to accomplish those things that you could never anticipate happening. Ten years ago I experienced a tipping point. I took a dare and said “I read they could do it so I guess I can too.” I went from being a young man barely being able to survive to now being a person that is responsible for leading myself and many others to life filled with purpose. I tell my boys dreams are real. I call them dreamers. I use a tone that lets them know dreams are good. It’s something that not everyone realizes. I told Jarred two years ago if wants to be the President of the United States then I believe he can do it. Little does he know but that was my dream too. Can it happen? Sure. David dreamed of building the temple for God but Solomon did it. He did it based on his father’s direction. God loves us and wants to save the world from its own thoughts and desires. Jesus died to save the world. We are fulfilling that dream. Every time we talk about what ordinary people were inspired to do and the switch gets flipped is another scene in the dream that is completed.
When I was younger I could have been dreaming the incorrect things. My dreams were to be what everyone else was or had accomplished. They were never my own. I was never original. The original things in my life were when I had to work and grab the determination to see it to the end.
Still I’m finding out that my dreams are not my own. My dreams are cherished thoughts of what God has next for me. Now that my dreams are given to me from God I can be original. I can be myself in everything. As most of my friends know I’m constantly thinking of the next step, how to make things better, what can be changed or what is new. I’m never satisfied. I’m driven to a point that I can never rest because I know something or someone can always become better. If there were dreams to sell, what would you buy? You don’t know do you? Dreams aren’t for sale. Dreams are given to you. It is your hearts eye into the purpose of your life. God establishes the purpose. When our passion meets God’s purpose we are living the dream! Hopefully the switch remains on for me. One day, if not already, the switch will be flipped on for my boys. If I could say one thing to them at that time it would be “Be careful who you tell your dreams too. People who have deserted their dreams will dissuade yours!” Chuck
I made my mind up early. I mean early. I’m talking 5th grade early. I was going to be good at everything. Anything someone else could do I would be able join in and be right beside them. I told myself there will be a time that I could do everything. I bet this is really starting to come together for some of you. I bet this explains a lot of things about me. I tell you I was so obsessed with believing that I could do everything. I would practice for hours at something. In the 6th grade there was a boy that would always be the fastest in class. I got tired of it. I would dream of beating him and everyone thinking I was better. After thinking all day long I finally started my plan. I used my dog who was my best friend at the time. You guessed it. I would dream of havin’ so many friends. I would throw a stick in the air and try to beat my dog to the stick. My goal was to beat him to the stick. I think after two weeks of doing this every night my dog finally let me reach the stick first. If my dog was able to talk I’m sure he would say “Dude, go ahead if it means that much to ya.” Then the big day came. Get on your mark. Get set. Go! I ran like everything in me. I could see no one in front of me. As I crossed the finish line I heard “Collins second.” It wasn’t over. We had to turn and run two more times. I won the final two heats. What happened was that the practice built my endurance. What a turning point in me. I realized that preparing was not about winning but staying with the pace. You may be saying sure, right Chuck. Typical, you’re always trying to make something out of nothing. I’m smiling as I’m writing this. This may not be something to you but it was for me. I felt so good about myself. I remember running of the bus and telling my mom and she just smiled and told me to “Run into the back room and grab a jar of peaches.” If I was slow she would say “I thought you were the fastest, hurry up.” So why tell anyone a dream or accomplishment if they can’t share the moment.
I went through a majority of life believing that I didn’t need to be first I just needed to do enough to pass. Passing would get me through to the next door. That’s all I really need. I just need to be able to keep up. A majority of my life I compared my production to someone else. If it was close to the best then it is good enough for me. I could've been a TJ MAXX store. Almost like the best just a little bit off. This was so far from being real.
Who cares about dreams cause where I came from it is all about survival. First I must survive the hills of Kentucky. Then I must survive being from the hills of Kentucky. Can anyone do that without being a dreamer? I’m realizing right now that survival has been most of my life. Then I got a family. What do I do? I didn’t teach dreams I taught survival. Work hard and survive. Why dream? I remember my dad sharing his dreams and what it was like to have a vision. I didn’t care I didn’t want to let myself down. I was going to at least survive.
Then this great thing happened in my life. An eye opened up. It was like a switch was flipped and I said “I’m going to change.” I asked for a new opportunity and I received a better life. I began to read history of people before me that I realized I could relate too. It was a mixture of survival and hope. I read about young boys refusing to be conformed to the everyday expectations. Even one young man was called a dreamer and was kicked out of his family. I remember reading about an elderly couple that was given a dream and they refused to give up until they seen the dream come true. I began to question myself. “Can dreams really come true?” I read about ordinary people. There were ordinary people that found them surviving and never reaching first place. These ordinary people must have had a switch flipped up in their life. Question: Was it the same switch in my life? Was it a switch that will allow a person to dream again? The same exciting dreams as if I were that young boy that couldn’t fall asleep. It is possible that even though I’m much older (don’t laugh) I can still have a dream? Can I still have a cherished thought or desire? I believe so. This time the dream becomes something else. The dream gave ambition. Ambition is used to accomplish those things that you could never anticipate happening. Ten years ago I experienced a tipping point. I took a dare and said “I read they could do it so I guess I can too.” I went from being a young man barely being able to survive to now being a person that is responsible for leading myself and many others to life filled with purpose. I tell my boys dreams are real. I call them dreamers. I use a tone that lets them know dreams are good. It’s something that not everyone realizes. I told Jarred two years ago if wants to be the President of the United States then I believe he can do it. Little does he know but that was my dream too. Can it happen? Sure. David dreamed of building the temple for God but Solomon did it. He did it based on his father’s direction. God loves us and wants to save the world from its own thoughts and desires. Jesus died to save the world. We are fulfilling that dream. Every time we talk about what ordinary people were inspired to do and the switch gets flipped is another scene in the dream that is completed.
When I was younger I could have been dreaming the incorrect things. My dreams were to be what everyone else was or had accomplished. They were never my own. I was never original. The original things in my life were when I had to work and grab the determination to see it to the end.
Still I’m finding out that my dreams are not my own. My dreams are cherished thoughts of what God has next for me. Now that my dreams are given to me from God I can be original. I can be myself in everything. As most of my friends know I’m constantly thinking of the next step, how to make things better, what can be changed or what is new. I’m never satisfied. I’m driven to a point that I can never rest because I know something or someone can always become better. If there were dreams to sell, what would you buy? You don’t know do you? Dreams aren’t for sale. Dreams are given to you. It is your hearts eye into the purpose of your life. God establishes the purpose. When our passion meets God’s purpose we are living the dream! Hopefully the switch remains on for me. One day, if not already, the switch will be flipped on for my boys. If I could say one thing to them at that time it would be “Be careful who you tell your dreams too. People who have deserted their dreams will dissuade yours!” Chuck
“Dreams are the touchstones of our characters.” -Henry David Thoreau
4 comments:
Pastor Chuck,
I'm sorry I thought things were given and came easy to you.You give us hope.That is why you are who you are and you are special to us.God bless.
I sometimes forget my dreams or tell myself well it was a nice thought to have. What's touching to know is that God knows what is in my heart. I need to seek and pray because I have a purpose for my dreams!
One dream came true for me I have you honey! I know I am sappy! ha!
That's so true. It's easy to get discouraged when our dreams take longer to come true that we think they should. I need to realize that My dreams are God-given and it will all happen in His time.
Thanks for the reminder! Love you guys.
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