Why Grown-Ups Are Not Good Dreamers

If everyone lived out their childhood dreams of what they once wanted to "be," I think we would have an awful lot of astronauts, firemen, teachers and nurses around.

"What do you want to be?" It was one of the first questions most adults asked you when they were trying to be nice and didn't really know what else to say. I didn't mind, though, because the whole subject was  exciting. When you are young enough to dream, there is no pressure, no sense of regret or frustration to go along with this question.  With the whole future ahead of you, anything is possible. You could dream about being a mommy or a teacher, an astronaut or a nurse. You could travel the world, help feed the poor, even cure cancer.  Why not? The sky was the limit.

But somewhere along the way those dreams drifted into the everyday responsibilities of life.  The question, “what do I want to be?” was hijacked by “What needs to get done today?” The need to be responsible and practical overcame the dream.  There are people who depend on you now, bills to be paid, homes to keep in order, jobs to be worked, laundry to conquer, food to buy and cook.  The original question is often written off as a childish exercise in developing your imagination.

But, should it be?

Ephesians 2:10 says: “...we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

What are those things He planned for us?  Did he plan for us to be so bogged down in everyday responsibilities that we can’t see beyond our “to do” list? Is our sole purpose being put on this earth to clean up after other people, shuttle, hurry, wash, rinse, repeat?

Or have we missed something? Did the Infinite Creator of the Universe put in us the desire to create?  To build?  To build-up? And if so, what is keeping us from it?  

What is that dream that lies dormant, almost lifeless?  What questions do we need to ask ourselves so we can fan into flame those gifts, those dreams, those abilities that were put into us and planned for  since the creation of time?

Here are some new questions to ponder as we hurry along our  in duties today, shuttling, cleaning, filing….

• What do I love?  What gives me great joy?
• What do others say I am good at?  
• What do I think I am good at?  
• If time, money, and ability were not an issue, what would I love to devote myself to and become an expert in?

In other words, if you could dream again, and live your dream, what would it look like?  Who would you love to take along with you?  What would you love to look back on and say, “Wow, God, we did it! “

If, in fact, many opportunities in life are merely hindered by our imagination, isn't it time to dream again?