To Catch A Dream Thief

Once upon a time I had a dream. It was a big dream. Bigger than any other I had. But I dreamed it anyway. I dreamed I was elected student-body President of my high school.

You might think that as I was Vice President the year before that my dream was not such a big dream. That my dream was easily within my grasp. I’d say “Ha!, you’re wrong.” I was running against our Valedictorian, the smartest girl not just in my class but in the whole school. I was also running against several faculty members and teachers, as I soon learned. Fulfilling this dream would be a mighty task.

Even before I announced my candidacy people tried to thwart me and my dream. I was told in no uncertain terms by the Head of the Upper School, Sister C., that I was to strongly consider my run for the presidency. And that I really should not run. That, among other things, she and other faculty members didn’t find me committed enough for the position.

I was flabbergasted. Sister C and I always got along really well. I responded in no uncertain terms that I was, indeed, committed beyond expression. I thanked her for her concern and set about my task of campaigning.

That’s when I learned that forces that one day like you can really not like you really quickly. I put up campaign posters – Sister C. tore them down for alleged misspellings (she was wrong). I put up big posters – Sister C. instituted a new rule as to the size poster that could be put up. I cut my large poster in half, and put them up really close together – Sister C. instituted another new rule as to the number of posters, one.

Sister C. was not the only one who wanted my dream to fail. Indeed, there were other teachers and faculty who didn’t take to the idea of my presidency. I even learned Sister B., the Headmistress, was one of them. But I did have teachers and faculty on my side. Seemed I had created quite a stir with my little campaign. And the people who noticed didn’t think it was all bad.

Election Day finally came. Valedictorian and I gave our speeches to the Upper School. Votes were tallied. Candidates’ were called into Sister B’s office for the results. I won in a landslide.

Dreams are funny things. We have to hold on tight to them. Really tight. There are evil forces in the world that will try and take them from us if we are not vigilant.

Dream stealers are sent in all shapes and sizes. Some dream stealing soldiers are obvious, like mine was – a person who is visibly trying to keep us from our goal. But other soldiers are more subtle – busyness, that makes us move our dream to the back burner; lack of confidence, that tells us we don’t have any business striving for that goal; lack of contacts or resources, that tells us we will never get there from here; or repeated failure, that tells us we’ve tried and tried but this dream belongs to someone else. And so many more.

Lies. Each one of these dream thiefs is a lie sent by the evil one to ensure we do not reach our goal. Why? Because he knows that if we reach it what joy we will have and what glory God, the dream giver, will have.  The only true way to thwart the thwarter of dreams is to trust in God to get us there. When there seems like no way, there is a way. God is the Way. Even when we can no longer see the dream God can and does. We must do our part and remain in faith. God put the dream in us and God finishes what He starts.

What business did I have beating the smartest girl in school? On paper I should have lost big time. The only way I win that election is with God’s help. And I think satan knew it and that’s why he tried every trick in the book to stop it. Now, I’m not saying my opponent didn’t have God on her side, but perhaps God had a bigger dream planned for her. Something that would bring her even more joy and Him even greater glory.

The dream thief is sneaky and we must remain ever alert and focused to catch him. When we can no longer see the dreams, goals and desires we have set out for our lives we must keep our eyes on God.

He is the one, true way to get there from here.

And that is no dream.

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