HERE COMES THE DREAMER

Growing up in Eastern Kentucky, church was a big part of my life, as it is with most people raised in the south. Our weekly routine was simple, if the doors of the church were open then we walked through them. Sunday morning, Sunday night and the dreaded Wednesday night. If there wasn’t any youth group meeting on Wednesday then we had to sit in the adult Bible study. But Mom said we had to go so my brother and I went. As a result, a lot of the stories from the Bible sunk in and stick with me.

There was a king so fat, when he was assassinated with a sword, his fat engulfed the whole knife. Guys were thrown in a furnace, a lion’s den and swallowed by a giant fish and lived to talk about it. A donkey spoke and a snake tempted. There are stories of treachery, love, victories and agonies which captivate as they draw you in, so much so, you forget your hearing a story from the Bible. One such story draws my attention to new aspects and nuances each time I hear it. A simple story of a guy with seemingly no direction in life yet turns out to be on the path of his purpose all along. When he walked up to a crowd, people would mockingly say, “Here comes the dreamer!” Yet, there are a few lessons we can learn from Joseph and his dreams.

Some are Not Going to Believe in You. 

When Joseph revealed his dreams to his brothers they were jealous, made fun of him and even told their dad he was one weird cat.  Even his dad told him to get his head out of the clouds. Dreamers often face this lack of support from family and friends. They may get a ceremonial pat on the head or a verbal cheer lacking sincerity. This is a usual outcome because dreams lack practicality and are foreign to the non-dreamers. Yet, like Joseph, you must not give in to their lack of belief. As a matter of fact, their lack of faith in your dream is all the more reason you most continue to cultivate a strong faith in you and your dream.

Some Will Try to Derail You. 

Joseph’s brothers were so fed up with him and his dreams, they devised a plan to get rid of him. The oldest altered their plan to kill him to sell him into slavery then tell their dad he was attacked. I am sure Joseph wondered what would happen to him and his dreams, but he stay on track. He didn’t fully understand how it was all going to work out and he knew if he allowed himself to get off course it definitely wouldn’t reach fruition.

Some will Seek to Contain You. 

Joseph became a well-respected employee in a high ranking official’s business until he was placed in a position that would compromise his dream. When he stood firm with who he was, he was lied about, framed and then falsely imprisoned. Being shut out from everyone, ostracized even, is a form of containment and can tempt you compromise your dreams in an effort to be accepted. In the end all you have accomplished is changing your dream to someone else’s, confining yourself to less than what you could be. Dreamers remain committed to the dream regardless of how dreary, damp and dark the dungeon of containment may seem. Dreams stay focused on a bigger picture.

Some will Commit to You. 

While in prison, Joseph treated everyone with respect and helped one realize his dream even when it meant his friend would achieve his goal before him. When the opportunity arose, however, Joseph’s friend recommended Joseph. He wasn’t forgotten about, just the opposite in fact. This guy believed in Joseph’s abilities so much he risked everything with his suggestion. Long story short, Joseph became the most powerful person (except for the Pharaoh) in the country and his dreams were fulfilled. The reason for this rests with Joseph. Sure he had help but had he doubted himself, given up or comprised his dreams he would not have been in the position which allowed him to make his dreams a reality.

When you walk into a room and hear someone say, “Here comes the dreamer,” hold your head up and say, “Yes I am.”