As I read though, I could see that this list described some of Brent's big dreams. I mean seriously, who hasn't dreamed of sleeping in a castle, breaking 100 mph on the Autobahn, or snowboarding in the Alps? But the difference between most of us and Brent, is that he is DOING IT. It's the best time in his life to be going on this crazy adventure that most of us only dream about, and he's seizing the opportunity to do what Mark Twain says in this quote:
Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
How many times have I passed by opportunities for adventures and cool experiences simply because I was scared or I didn't have enough details to feel like I was in control of the situation? I know the answer - it's a LOT. I like details. I like feeling like I'm at least somewhat in control of a situation. I like having a plan, and knowing that I'm prepared for nearly every foreseeable possibility. And while I fully believe that those types of details are important and that I shouldn't be foolishly running after every whim that catches my fancy, I know that I could probably benefit from a bit more spontaneity and willingness to pursue the passions God has given me more fervently.
One of my coworkers and I were talking the other day about what we're passionate about, and what we dream of doing with our lives. This conversation continued to make me think over the next few days and culminated in a very long journal entry one afternoon as I sat at Gov Cup drinking a cup of my favorite chai tea. So here's a peek into my heart and my dreams - the things that make my heart beat faster, the things that I could talk about animatedly for hours on end, the things I'm passionate about, the things that I desire to have the courage to step out in faith and actually DO.
Last night while Alicia and I were talking, she asked me what my dreams were. What was I passionate about? And finally, I can answer that question. Once I started talking, I almost couldn't stop. I'm passionate about families. My dream is to work with parents and children, helping them learn how to have healthy, meaningful relationships with each other. I want to teach parents the importance of and how to be the primary faith trainers of their children - that it's not the church's job to teach their kids to love God, but that the church is there to partner with parents and work alongside them to train their children. I want to use the church as a tool to create opportunities for kids and parents to have shared experiences and build stronger relationships as a result of spending time together talking, serving, worshipping, having fun, and learning from each other. I have a dream of camps and retreats and events designed to give parents and kids the opportunity to actually get to know each other, learn to communicate with each other, spend time actually talking to each other away from the distractions of the cell phone, work, chores, and school. I dream of helping families understand the value and importance of simple things like eating dinner together and having conversations about what is going on in each other's lives. I dream of purity retreats that include parents AND their teenager tacking sexual integrity and relationship issues together and having these important conversations before the teen is thrown into the pressure cooker of friends, hormones, and media influences. I want to see parents and teens not fighting over music, movies, and other media, but learning how to engage and exegete culture together. I want to see a generation of families that knows how to communication, that has high emotional intelligence, that are learning about themselves, their gifts, and their passions and are encouraging and supporting each other's pursuit of those God-given dreams, gifts, and passions. I believe that children who are raised in a healthy family and have learned good communication and emotional intelligence skills are going to be a whole heck of a lot more likely to pass on those healthy habits to their own families and children.
So there you have it - a little glimpse of my own big dreams. Unlike Brent, pursuing these dreams isn't quite as easy as packing my life into a backpack and jumping on a plane bound for London, but I want to DO IT. Not just dream about it, and always say, "Someday." Even though this is a long-term dream, I want to be making baby steps every day towards its fulfillment. Right now that includes a lot of reading (a pretty fun baby step for me!), a lot of working on my own relationship with Christ, and a lot of becoming more aware of the problems and issues that plague families in the world around me. I know that for the most part, I'm a hopeless optimist and idealist, and I would like to think that every family is capable of being fully functional and excited and willing to work on their relationships with each other, but I have to continually remind myself that that's not usually the case. The excerpt from my journal entry above is me being outrageously idealistic, and I know that I need a good dash of realism thrown into the mix as well.
But for now, this is where I am and these are the things about which I'm learning, discovering, and dreaming. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a pile of books to read.
Mood: Contemplative
Music: The Civil Wars
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