Dear Friends,
A professor prepared a test for his final students. The test questions were divided into three categories and the students were instructed to choose questions from only one of the categories. The first questions were the hardest and worth 100 points. The second group were easier and worth 50 points. The third ones were the easiest ones, so were only worth 25 points.
When the test were marked, the students who'd chosen the hardest 100 point questions received an A grade. The students who'd the 50 point received a B grade and those who'd chosen the 25 point easy questions were given a C. The students were furious with the grading of their test paper, but the professor explained: "I wasn't testing your knowledge; I was testing your aim."
Many of us do not aspire and dream dreams. We end up setting our sights really low so as to protect ourselves from failure and disappointment. We're often told to 'think out of the box' but isn't it time we simply realised THERE IS NO BOX?! Let's dream beyond our natural limits to allow a supernatural dimension to kick in.
Dreams are the seedlings of reality. I agree with John Maxwell's insight that: "Without dreams, we will never reach beyond our circumstances." One of my favourite movies is called Patch Adams. It's the true story of an American Doctor who dreams of building a free hospital which offers courteous care and laughter along with its medicine. In his book Gesundheit, Patch Adams wrote: "When a dream takes hold of you, what can you do? You can run with it, let it run your life or let it go and think for the rest of your life about what might have been."
As long as our dreams are rooted in Christ, what can we lose if we run with them or even let them run away with us? When writing to the Colossians, the apostle Paul urged people to continue following Jesus, having accepted him as Lord. "Let your roots grow down into him, and let your live be built on him," he wrote. "Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness" (Colossians 2:7). Imagine how much we might all achieve if we allow our faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." (Matthew 17:20). How many mountains have you moved recently?
Why not begin in this enormous task by revisiting some of your dreams and aspirations this summer? Perhaps prayfully ponder with God what this season of life is meant to be, remembering the words of the prophet Nike: "Just do it!"
I like the optimistic attitude of Jonas Salk: "I haev had dreams and I have had nightmares, "he said, "but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams."
May you know the Lord's goodness, all around the compass and the clock.
SHALOM
J.John
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