"Dreams and Visions"

Written by R. E. Bailes

What Shaped Her Vision?

If you have been watching the Olympics you may have seen the 2009 Gymnastics World Championships and how a young lady took the Gold Metal by just .075 difference in score. Her name is Nastia Liukin and the young lady that won the Silver is Shawn Johnson. These two young ladies portrayed to the world the ultimate in sportsmanship and attitude when it came down to the wire. Their reactions upon completion of the final competition were emotional and yet the strength that comes with man hours of practice had prepared them for the moment when they would realize that their dream had come true. This dream for Nastia had been fueled by the dream of her father as her coach. He too had received the Gold many years before and his dream of seeing his daughter do the same had come true.

The Word of God talks about the older men having dreams and the younger have visions.
Even though it isn't in the same context this reminded me of that passage as I thought about the vision that Nastia must have had to reach the moment when she had that Gold metal in her hands. Without the vision she surely would have given up during the competition when she saw the other girls scoring so closely to her own. I then thought about how her father understood his dream for her and was able to help shape and fuel the way for Nastia to keep her vision alive and clearly focus on her vision without wavering in thought.

Isn't that how God treats us when we stay in open communication with Him? He has a dream for our lives but we will need to understand and know what it is in order to see that dream come true. We need to understand that His dream for us is good and that the things that we strive for will determine the vision we have for our lives. Is it possible that our present vision for our life is determined by other dreams of our own? Have we been chasing the dreams that are presented in the magazines and tv commercials? Is there possibly an ulterior motive of those who make those ads that will bring us temporary satisfaction but ultimately financial stress and ruin?

Whose dream are we going to follow after in this world? What will fuel the visions we have? Is our vision in alignment with God's dreams for our life and our future? God had a reward in mind for all of us and that is what his dream for us is about. Reaching the mark for the prize of the high calling; that is the high invitation of God in Christ. God wants to call our name one day and hug us in victory as we receive our reward for pressing toward the vision that He describes for us in His Word. Maybe it isn't quite clear what that is for your life yet! Don't despair if you are not clear about His will and His dream for your life!

I'm sure Nastia's father didn't teach her every single thing she would have to accomplish all at one time in order to receive the Gold metal at the Olympics. If He had of tried to teach her all at once, she surely would have become discouraged and quit. It is the dream that gives the older more wise men endurance and the will to stay on course without quitting. They see the reward at the end and already know how great it feels to receive it! The younger generations cannot understand so they have need of a vision; a picture of what that dream looks like, feels like and the ultimate satisfaction it brings!

This is what the Word says about the days ahead.

Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

What are the dreams we have for our children? Are their visions being shaped to bring them to the place where they will find ultimate satisfaction or is it possible that they too, like many others in this life, will find disappointment and stress? How can we build the visions of our children for spiritual, physical and emotional success?

Hold onto that thought for one minute!

When we get our vision in alignment with God's dream for our life, we know it because we begin to feel the communion with God, right? We take time to pray and we read His Word to find out more about His teachings and to receive guidance from the Holy Spirit. In the same way, Natia must have communicated and listened intently to her father's teaching! He had been there and had won the reward before her by making the right choices in his own life. He knew what the result would be for her today and he seemed to show a sense of fulfillment in his expressions as the camera filmed him while she was receiving her applause and reward. She had reached the goals that he had helped her set but it was her will and her vision that ultimately got her there!

How can we build the visions of our children? Our children learn from our hopes and dreams and their visions are set by our lives! We need to check our own goals and our own vision of what we are serving for in life to see if it is in alignment with God's dream for us or if it is in alignment with the dreams that shape our world through magazines, tv and internet. Set your sights on the dream that God has and your children will follow you. It is true, what we do speaks louder than words. Take thought for today and the goals that we are setting for our children! What is it going to be; the world vision or God's vision; ruin or reward?

Matthew 6:28-34

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.