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What is your dream world for yourself? For your loved ones? Where do you fit into this dream? I’m just guessing that you are not in the background of the dream or appear in an indifferent manner. On the other hand, perhaps your dream is for your loved ones’ future and you appear more as spectator.

Dreams appear from time to time in scripture. To name a few: Jacob’s ladder was a dream. Jacob’s son, Joseph had a couple dreams and, while in prison, interpreted the dreams of others. Jesus’ father Joseph had a dream that had the family pack up and move to Egypt as refugees. Pontius Pilate’s wife had a dream and warned her husband concerning the Jesus upon whom he was to pass sentence.

There is this thing called “The American Dream”. I feel rather certain were I to ask 15 Americans to define this dream, I would receive 15 differing, if not different, definitions. To me that sounds just fine. Perhaps part of the American Dream is just that: to be able to dream differently and have different goals in mind for life and living.

If you have read much of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., you are aware he had little issue with the American Dream. Instead he took issue that much of this dream was not available, at least not to the same degree, to African-Americans. Too often their dream was simply to survive

I wonder if God dreams. Might we say Creation was God’s dream? God created light, water, animals, plants and humans. God even personally planted the Garden of Eden. One does not do such homesteading without a dream of where it all might go. This means you and I, your crotchety neighbor, your delightful Aunt, and your unceasingly frustrating co-worker are all part of God’s dream. Sometimes our dream-world can seem more nightmare than dream.

While living in a dream-world might not be healthy, living with some dreams and trying to fulfil them can be a good thing. The danger of dreams is that they can be all about us. Where are others in our dreams? Where are others beyond loved ones included in our dreams? Do we ever hold our dreams up to God’s dream for us? What dream might God have for us?

The problem with dreams is often trying to figure them out. Jacob saw angels ascending and descending a ladder. Seventeen year old son Joseph saw sheaves paying homage to an upright sheaf. You and I have had strange characters and events in our dreams. What to make of it all? Freud and many psychologists have taken on the task of speculating about dreams. Yet we are still left with speculation, not definite and clear understanding.

This might be the way to think about God’s dream for you. God has given you gifts. God wants you to use those gifts in service of others. This much is clear. The how to and the what to do part are not so clear. They are left to us. What vocation does God want us to pursue? Butcher? Baker? Candlestick maker? What vocation does God want us to pursue within our family? To what vocation might God call us in retirement? Upon even our death, what might God be calling us to do with gifts left behind?

In our dreaming you and I need to place our dream within the context of God’s dream. What might God be dreaming for us? What might God be dreaming for God’s creation and how can our hopes and dreams fit into that dream?

Dreams or not, we can sleep well as followers of Jesus. We know God’s dream for us comes not only as call but also as love and care. God still gives, creates and plants. The best you and I can do is work with God as caretaker of God’s gifts and as a co-creator.
Let the sheaves dance, the angels ascend and descend. Let us continue to scratch our heads over what a recent dream might mean or not mean. God’s dream for us did not end with Creation. Keep up your discipleship struggle of making your dream adapt to that of God’s dream. Continue to remember God’s dream for you is not all about you. Maybe then we can figure out some of those dreams we have.