Dreams: Journey into the Unknown

  Dreams can be so vivid and powerful in our lives. The imagery in dreams leaves us wondering, what does it all mean? Dreams can be used to draw us into the future with hope and expectancy. Dreams can also leave us feeling frustrated and anxious. Will what we dream about ever really happen? Dreams have the ability to tap into our inner life in a way that can alter our behavior in both positive and negative ways. Dreams involve both the soulish and spiritual realms of our lives. But how do dreams come to pass? What part can I play in 'making it happen'. Dreams are like a finished painting that we have to insert ourselves into after the first 'rough draft' has been etched. When we first encounter a significant dream for our lives we are often tempted to run into the future without proper preparation or planning. We want to jump into the deep water of the 'not yet'. What we are experiencing at times like these is deeply profound and real. We should not minimize the awesome reality and power of glimpsing the future before it happens....this is an amazing gift from God enabled by faith. A very powerful definition of faith is found in the New Testament book of Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 1, "It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see."

  In 1989 I received a surprising phone call from someone I had never met. In a strong British accent a man named Dr. Howard Harper called me after hearing about me through a mutual friend. Later I had realized I had heard of Dr. Harper from a book I had read about ministry in Afghanistan. Dr. Harper was quite blunt and bold in our conversation. He informed me that he had heard I had a desire (dream) to do medical ministry in Asia. Howard's question to me was simple and straightforward, "How would you like to help me start an eye hospital in Pakistan?" I was stunned by his question and immediately was thinking, "How can I hang up on this guy?" I had absolutely no interest in working in an eye hospital! Howard questions continued in rapid fire sequence, Would I be willing to do eye surgery myself? Would I be willing to go to England to study Ophthalmology? My head was spinning and in an effort to get off the phone I told him I would need to pray! He assured me that was a good idea and pledged to follow up again with me soon! Up until this phone call I had been working in intensive care units for several years. I had no background in eye care whatsoever and now I was being asked to consider doing eye surgery!

  Dreams are often outlines God deposits into our minds and hearts to thrust us outward into the unknown of his prepared future. When we are impacted by dreams and visions we often make incomplete and wrong assumptions about what that future will really look like in reality. "We see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity." (1 Corinthians 13:12) Sometimes the next step on our path toward our future is not what we expected at all. I had a very fuzzy and general desire to serve God in medical ministry overseas. Now suddenly a phone call from God (in the person of Dr. Harper) stunned me enough to challenge my faith deeply. At one point during the call I pushed back against Dr. Harper regarding doing eye surgery... I told him flatly, "I have no training and skill in doing eye surgery!"  And then Dr. Harper said something that still resonates to me all these years later, "I didn't ask you if you could do eye surgery, I asked you if you would be WILLING to do eye surgery.... if you were trained properly." That was a fair question and in good faith I had to say that indeed I was willing. He was satisfied with my answer and the first step on a 9 year odyssey to Pakistan began with that simple response, "Yes, I am willing."

  Every dream draws us out to places we have never been. To think that you can accomplish your dream with the skill set you presently have is absurd. A dream is a journey of faith that requires many steps into the unknown of learning, risk, adventure and danger. If you want to dream, you'll have to move into uncharted waters where most fear to journey
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  Our imagination tries to fill in the blanks of the unpainted portions of our dreams journey. There is nothing wrong with that. Imagination serves its purpose in giving the rough draft of our future.... but there is a danger in putting too much faith in this temporary mental map. When we actually get to where our dream is taking and it looks very little like we have imagined, we can become deeply disappointed and regretful. Our faith and hope need to be centered on a relationship with the Dream Maker himself. When we have that ongoing relationship and things don't turn out as we have planned we have an anchor to hold us while we fear and falter. Perhaps you have gotten to a place in your dream journey where you've wound up in unexpected places with unexpected people. You feel alone and fearful. You are asking, just what is going on in my life anyway? There is Someone who wants to reorient you to where you are now, and where you're going to.... but it takes faith to get there.  Believers dream.......and dreamers believe. "So you see it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who comes to him must believe that there is a God and  that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." (Hebrews chapter 11:6)

  Your dreams are taking you somewhere. The destiny for your life will deeply satisfy you in every dimension of your being. But that destiny is wrapped around relationship and not just isolated acts of achievement and accomplishment. When you get to where you're going the joy and the satisfaction of the journey is judged by the quality of your relationships more than your income or material wealth. Life is all about relationships and the Dream Weaver himself, your creator and God is calling you forward into the unknown. Let's dream together..... let's believe.

Jim