Room for Dreams

I like dreaming. I always did. I think as children we have a propensity to dream more than we do when we are adults, but clearly the capacity for this is still apparent even as we age. I don’t know where the human capacity for dreaming comes from, but I think it is the divine. I find it hard to believe that in all of the complexity and capacity of the human brain, the entwined intricacies of the human spirit and soul, the mechanical nature of our being is capable of ‘dreaming’. I just don’t see it… not that I am the author of all things and ‘should’ be able to see it, but I wonder.

This last week I was given ‘pause’ again in life. Things happened that put loved ones in pain as well as changes in my course this week. Right now, I am working very hard to continue the ongoing projects at work, plus I am attempting to be the best single dad possible on the planet, be a great fiance to Elizabeth while we are waiting for the right time to move forward, continue pursuing my gut level dreams of flight and adventure, and be the best son possible to the worlds best mom and and dad. Not much to ask I know… 🙂

There are days in life where the dream comes real, it touches down much like the eagle roosting from a day’s hunt. It just happens in front of you and you ‘live’ it. The dream gets flesh and bones and the next thing you know, you are waiting for the next ‘fleshed’ out dream. The times between the fleshing out is what I want to write about.

Paul in his epistles says he is ‘content’ in every stage of life. If he has a lot or little, his sustenance comes from God, from Christ. That deep inner knowing that our lives, your life, have more intrinsic value than basing them on getting to ‘do’, or getting to ‘go’ places. I think there are times where the dreams we have are actually borne out of the deep inner most value our lives hold, and we can’t really put it all together. It thus spills out in the form of our imagination which takes on the God given realities of our lives.

Haven SmileThus, to me, it isn’t an accident that you love what you love. It isn’t an accident that you have the dreams you carry. Another aspect of this is we all carry dreams that when we were younger, we never knew existed. I had a dream of a daughter that I never knew and didn’t know long. Yet the first time I held Haven in my arms I knew I had been dreaming of that moment all of my life. BAM!!!! Out of the blue there was a dream come true.

The same happened for my son, Cayden. I had a hard time getting my head around the idea of having a son vs. a daughter but every day since I first held him, another dream has come true that I didn’t see on the horizon of my sea and sky.

Missionary Eric Liddell, a 1924 400 meter Olympic winner, once said, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel his pleasure.”

That purpose is what I don’t want to loose, either in times of ‘knowing’ or time of ‘believing but not seeing, experiencing’.

There is a time when all of life stops, I look in Elizabeth’s eyes and have that same ‘flesh on bones’ that takes my breath away.

But there are other things in life that I’ve always wanted to d20141025_103619o and when it all comes together, I feel His pleasure. The other week Elizabeth and I were tracking the beacon to the airport in the Blue Ridge mountains. We were in a procedure turn at 3200 feet. We passed through a very thin, see-through cloud, in a turn lining up for final. As we swept through the mist of the cloud, it distorted and broke apart as we powered through it. It happened in about 2 seconds, but it was one of those ‘amazing’ experiences that was ‘flesh on bones’.images

There is a twist of the throttle and lean in a turn on the Goldwing that brings the same thing. The engine whines and as you approach 4000 rpm the whole bike just powers forward. It’s awesome!

When Cayden has a belly laugh, one when he doesn’t know I am watching or listening, it totally takes me to that place.

Time and time again, these dreams come true. My wish for us all, is that through pain, hurt, worries, joys, etc, we know these dreams are there, alive, ready to bubble up… some from the doing and some… because it’s time. Don’t miss them….

In my travels I have seen some wonderful things. Been wonderful places and found places that I never knew existed and never thought I would love. Like Reno Nevada, I never knew I could love different shades of brown, since I come from the land of green. However, I think my eyes could never be ‘full’, and I want to ‘give’ something back from my adventures. I want to spread the experience of those dreams and ‘incite’ you to live your dreams, let them bubble up in your own lives.dscn4354

Incite is a good word, I want to ‘trouble’ you enough to not only live out your dreams but… most importantly, to help others lives out their dreams. Don’t just be satisfied playing the games of everyday life… everyone struggles and does that. But wherever you are at in life, ‘living the dream’ or ‘not’ …don’t give up and don’t give in. When the landscape of your life seems barren and you are just going through the motions, believe, know, deep down, your innermost thoughts and heart dreams are giving to you by Someone else… for a reason.

The reasons, I don’t know.. .but I believe they are there.

Peace on your journeys this week.

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