Life Ministries

Words For Living 

     We are from “the north”... northern Wisconsin to be specific. Not to far from where we lived there was a Native American reservation. Their culture and traditions were a prominent part of our community. I don’t know if you have seen or heard of a “dream catcher”, but it’s like a spider web made of leather and feathers. It is very decorative. A dream catcher is usually hung in the window of the bedroom, and Native American lore is that dreams – both good and bad – descend from the night sky. Bad dreams are caught in the web, and only good dreams slip through the web and onto the “dreamer”.

    A few years ago, there was a movie I watched called “Tucker”. It’s the story of a man who tried to fight the Automobile industry by introducing a car named after himself. In one scene Tucker is talking about how his mother came from the “old country”. She was Italian and had a very heavy accent. He remembered that his mother used to say to him “Don’t get too close to people, you will catch their dreams!” What she was really saying was “Don’t get too close to people, you will catch their germs!”, but he grew up believing she was saying “dreams” instead of germs.
    Dreams, described by Webster are -
#1. “a succession of images, thoughts or emotions that usually occur during sleep”.
#2. “A goal or aim for the future”.
#3. “A wild fantasy”. Or,
#4. “To conceive of something in the imagination”.  
Now, in my experience as a pastor, you don’t say “dreams” you say “vision” as in “I have a vision for the church!”…Then, you have people who say “In your wildest dreams!”
    The Gospels are stories of men and women who got close enough to Jesus to “catch his dream”, his vision. There was something very impressive about Jesus that caused the disciples and other followers to leave their families, their jobs, and for some, everything…for an uncertain future. Perhaps this quality is found in all people of vision. There had to be something special about his dream, his vision. What was it that got these fishermen so excited? Why are we not just as excited today?... Perhaps we have lost the vision.
    Jesus had a vision for the world, a dream, a picture of how life was meant to be. He saw a world where God ruled in every heart; a world of peace and righteousness and true justice. A world of love and harmony and unity. Was he talking about the kingdom of God? Yes, He spoke of heaven and life in the hereafter, but He also spoke of a present possibility when He said “the kingdom of God is at hand”…within reach…a present possibility!
    The disciples and the people got excited! They were swept up in Jesus’ dream. They believed such a world was possible, and they gave their lives to see it become a reality. Jesus said “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”. They knew about fishing for fish, but Jesus was calling them to see beyond that to something far more significant. He wanted them to catch the dream of introducing people to this kingdom of love and peace and hope and truth. They were to be active participants in the greatest vision they had ever known! And, they would make a difference in their city, their county, their country, their world.
    Yes, there is something very special about Jesus. There is something very special about His dream, His vision for the world…And He is still looking for co-workers! He is still seeking “fishermen” to share His dream and see it through to reality in the hearts and lives of family and friends everywhere. His words ring just as loud and clear now as they did over 2000 years ago; “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men!” What a vision!  What a dream! Transforming lives and changing people from the inside out!  I think if we are Christians, we ought to be dreamcatchers!