Bob Hamp

 All men dream but not all men dream equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recess of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. ~ Thomas Edward Lawrence

All my life, I have had the same dreams over and over again.  I often dream I can fly, and I frequently dream that I find money, which leads to finding more money.  I don’t necessarily take these dreams literally, but nor do I take them lightly.  I cannot help but think of the Sea Lion in John Eldredge’s amazing book, Journey of Desire.  In short, this Sea Lion had long ago lost the sea, but regularly had dreams of the environment for which he was created.  Twisitng, diving, swimming, only to wake again and find himself in the barren lands. 

A truth buried deep in his soul stirred his sleeping mind.  His environment could not transform his deepest nature nor his deepest longings.  And what of us?

I dream I can fly.  Should I leap from tall buildings? I am not ready for this, but nor am I ready to surrender to the limitations I have seen thus far in my life.  I am CERTAIN THERE IS MORE. More than I have experienced so far.  I can sense it.  Can’t you?  Things that appear to be boundaries or limitations, I am not ready to accept these things as the final word.  A part of me was made for dominion over these things.  They shall not have dominion over me.  Sickness, fear, shattered souls.  I have seen God overcome these things in small measure, I am contending for MORE.

I dream again…

So I find money.  Just a dollar.  But because I look down, I notice a five or a ten nearby.  As I move to pick them up, I notice a roll of bills.  When I pick it up, they are large bills.  The discovery keeps growing.  Oddly, in my waking life, I am always looking for treasure.  Ask my poor kids…was that a shiny thing on the side of the road?  We are turning around.  Ten candy wrappers for every one real find,  But I am still looking. 

Something in me says that treasure is all around us.  Probably not cash, but when I find some I am certain that looking that direction will net me MORE.  So perhaps keeping my eyes on the ground is the wrong direction to turn, but watching for treasure is not.  Treasure in the hearts of people, treasure in the presence and the moves of God in daily life.  If I find some, and look, I am sure that more is not far away.  Much more.

So these are the dreams I have at night.  But something about the deep call of these dreams leads me to dream BIG when I am awake. 

I still believe I can change the world.  Well…not so much, “me”  but the search for treasure and the failure to buy into the limitations.  Something about a man who finds treasure in a field and is willing to sell everything he has to purchase it….

I still believe that you and I are citizens of a Kingdom whose ultimate completion is the transformation and restoration of all things.  And I believe we are the conduit to usher that Kingdom into now. 

Don’t go jumping of any cliffs, but don’t bow so quickly to gravity either.  We might just be able to fly

Thanks, Laura Dubroc for the quote at the beginning of the Post.

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”… Helen Keller.