Dreams are the stuff that greatness is made of!

Last weekend, the USA and others celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first landing of a person on the moon.  “One small step for (a) man; one big leap for mankind!” Neil Armstrong

Some of us can remember that day.  For me, a young child at the time, I can picture our living room, the TV set, our whole family gathered to watch (along with millions of others), and the air of excitement and jubilation when we witnessed Neil Armstrong land and actually walk around ON THE MOON!

No one questioned whether that was real. 

Anyone who’d ever said “Are you crazy? That’s impossible!” stopped saying it.

Fifty years later we celebrate not only the achievement and its implications, but the fulfillment of a dream.

It makes me wonder what people were thinking and saying about it fifty years before this happened… ten years before… ten days before… ten minutes before… ten seconds before?

I can imagine a lot of doubt—“Okay, it’s one thing to talk about ‘the man in the moon’, but a man on the moon? No way!”

Yeah way. It happened.

Some people, even though they had doubts, began to imagine it happening. Some of those took it further and began to plan possible ways of making it happen.  Some of those took action, despite the naysayers. 

That took courage, boldness, and perseverance.  It also took enough contagious vision, excitement, and persuasive skills to get the necessary people on board— to provide finances and equipment, and to join the team.

Most of us don’t dream of astronautical ventures.  But all of us, hopefully, have dreamt of something “astronomical” in terms of resources, skills, people, etc., needed to fulfill it!  

Though the dreams may be different, they share common factors in ways to fulfill them:

  • Don’t give up—no matter what anyone else says; no matter what our own reasoning tells us; no matter what voices of discouragement we hear in our head! (Gal. 6:9)
  • Share the dream/vision— with positive and encouraging people we know will support us, spur us on, and motivate us to keep going when we feel like giving up. (Heb. 10:24)
  • Create smaller, “SMART” goals along the way to achieve them— Specific; Measurable; Attainable; Relevant; Time-sensitive (deadlines)
  • Recruit a team—Whether it’s getting to the moon or back, or anything else, an “astronomical”, true, dream, by definition, goes way beyond us.

–We need help—resources; mentors; people who can do what we can’t; accountability partners; encouragers; constructive evaluators. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.” (Eccles. 4:9)

–For example, any film ever made always has a long list of credits scrolling down at the end.  And that usually doesn’t even include the producer’s mom 🙂

  • Make them God-sourced, God-sized, God-seeking, and God-glorifying—Why?

–If they’re astronomical, we want and need the Creator of the Universe behind and fulfilling them!

–“Nothing is impossible with God” – Luke 1:37– It motivates us and helps us persevere when we’re sure someone can make it work.

–They will have eternal effects and impact—a dream worth fulfilling.

–This will give us the right motivation and reason for dreaming them—Selfish ambition causes us to cut and run things when things get too difficult or the dream no longer “has anything in it for us”.  But when we do it for God and the things and people HE cares about, we’ll persevere.

–We can count on His strength to enable and equip us, since He’s the One who commissioned the “project”.  Where His finger points, His hand will make the way.  “…God shall supply all [our] needs” (Phil. 4:19)

–A dream that’s too small, even when fulfilled, is like eating too small a portion for dinner—neither one is fulfilling or filling!

What astronomical dream do you have in your life today?  If you don’t have one, ask the Lord for one— and count on His help to fulfill it!