Chasing the Wrong Dream

It has been popular over the last few years to talk about chasing our dreams. Countless books have been written, seminars given and sermons preached about pursuing and achieving your dreams. It is a subject that all of us can relate to. Through the power of imagination we can see ourselves enjoying whatever it is that we dream about.

It’s a common refrain that we hear repeated to our children and our youth: “you can be anything that you want to be”. We want to encourage our children to think big thoughts and not to settle for mediocrity in life. We know that the higher the aspirations the less likely our youth will be sucked into the miasma of poverty, crime and other undesirable outcomes.

But what if we are chasing the wrong dream?

Go Outside and Play!

I cannot count the many times I heard those words from my mother. They were usually spoken with a slightly elevated voice that indicated this was a command and not a suggestion.

 My siblings and I must have gotten those words of instruction at the same time our neighborhood friends were hearing them from their moms. Once outside,   we found all of our friends making their exits from home as well. All of us kids knew we had to make the most of our free time and not venture back inside until either seriously injured, downright exhausted or if it was time to eat.

Don’t Quit Now

The crowd must have been massive. To have someone in your town, walking through your streets, who was the subject of interest for many generations, was special. Not only was He walking through town with His executive team, He was changing lives in the process. In a moment of time people were realizing miracles in their lives. The crowd must have been massive.

Jesus was on his way to assist a family with their dying daughter. A father in deep distress had come and begged Jesus for his help. As Jesus was complying and slowly making His way to this man’s house of desperation, the crowds gathered and pressed about Him. Shouting and talking and pushing about Him, this was a scene for the ages.

There we find a nameless woman. Her life for many years had been one of disappointment after disappointment. Her health was failing and her resources for survival had been exhausted by her repeated attempts to bring healing to her terminal health condition. Her only chance…her last chance was in asking Jesus for a miracle similar to ones she had heard repeated about him. But the crowd was massive and she was weak and small.