Buried Dreams
Perhaps it was the last scene from Sleepless in Seattle, where Tom Hanks, having just missed Meg Ryan's late arrival on the top of the Empire State Building, returns for his son's bookbag, to find the girl there to meet him. Maybe it was a climactic scene in a Chuck Norris or Star Trek movie, where the good guy pulls some unexpected move, to put him in the winning position. Whether it was a movie such as one of these, or a classic children's fairy tale, such as "Snow White", where an unexpected prince appears and awakens the damsel in distress, with a kiss, I suspect, each of us has experienced that moment of association with the character, who has excepted disappointment, only to be surprised by a happy ending. There lives in the human heart, that heroic desire; the snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat; the home run in the bottom of the ninth or the unexpected gold strike, just in time to save the day. When one looks at humanity's literature, films and music it becomes quite apparent that the desire for hope is an integral part of mankind's existence. It is my belief that, buried deep in each of us, lays the hope of a dream being unexpectedly fulfilled, and that it is important for us to understand why we cling so tightly, to that hope.
Everyone has had dreams that they never realized, or faced heartache and disappointment of one form or another. Some dreams are so much a part of who we are, we become afraid to voice them, for fear that we will "awaken" before they can come true. There are even those things that we have yet to dream, things that are so far beyond the realm of possibility that we don't even consider them. From our childhood we have felt both the joys of seeing long awaited hopes fulfilled, or the agonies of watching them flounder and die. Often we learn the wrong lessons from our experiences in life; the disappointment and disillusionment from the past overwhelm our ability to hope. As a result, we are often, most afraid of those dreams that are deepest and dearest to our hearts. Afraid to hope, and risk that which we cherish so highly. Therefore, when we experience frustration, hurt or failure in one area of our life, we to often, expect the same in other areas as well. Hope is a very important part of the human condition. We desperately need it, long for it and inwardly look for it at every turn. But why, and where can we find it?
From the beginning of time, man has struggled with his frustrated hopes, of a right relationship with his God. Our music, literature and theater are filled with examples of man's attempts to gain God's favor. Whether it be the moving songs of Johann S. Bach, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas or Frank Capra's Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life, each points to our obsession with hope in God. Buried, deepest in the heart of man, is that longing for the reconciliation of the one relationship he is most powerless to effect, his relationship with his Creator. Interestingly enough, in Christianity, Jesus Christ had desired the same dream. So much so, that among all the gods man has worshipped throughout history, he alone, was willing to become a sacrifice for us. To come to earth, live as we live, die for the sins that separated us, and rise again, so that dream could become reality. Indeed, it is the very nature of the Savior, to seek, not only to fulfill the dreams of His followers, but to exceed them. We find many references in the Bible which support this. In the book of Ephesians, chapter three, verse twenty, it states "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,". Christ himself said in the gospel of Matthew, chapter nineteen, verse twenty-six, "...With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." . Is it surprising, that when the source of our hope is not the giver of hope, that we find so many of our dreams frustrated. We are told in Proverbs 13:12 of the Bible, "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life." Perhaps it is time to place our hopes in the hands of the one who gave us dreams in the first place.