I Have a Dream

Where do people throughout the world want to be? Where do people aspire to go in life? Everything that I think of when I think of people's futures is in America. If you want to make it big, you come to America. Everyone in America has this mindset that we are the best and we are the center of the world. Going to Ukraine made me realize that this is not the case.

While in Ukraine, we went into town to go get some things and eat lunch. On our way to lunch, we were privileged to witness a funeral procession. This was a very interesting experience for us Americans. We were driving on the road when a parade of people came walking down the street. These people looked very sad as they walked somberly in a line with flowers and even a 3 instrument band playing. The first thing I noticed is that everyone is so respectful of this event. Every car on the road stopped to pay their respects to the deceased as the procession passed. As we stopped our car became silent as we realized what was happening and the seriousness of the situation. 

I do not like dead bodies; they freak me out. In Ukraine, the body of the dead person is placed in the back of a vehicle. No casket. No covering. They just take the body and bury it in the ground. This shocked me because, with my lack of experience with different cultures and dead people, I have never known any other way to have a funeral besides typical American memorial services. Seeing the dead body and realizing the reality and seriousness of the situation made my stomach turn. It's actually turning right now just thinking about it. Seeing this old man's body lying in the back of a vehicle being driven with a parade of people whom he loved made me think. Do these people believe in eternal life? Do they mourn because this man is dead forever or because they will miss him? What was this man known for? Was he a good guy? Was he loved by many? Is he leaving a big family behind? Did he live a good life, or was he living in poverty with no hope for a future?

This is when I realized how big our world really is, and how small I really am. All this time I have been living in America with probably one of the smallest perspective on the planet. America makes up about what, 5% of the earth's population? There are so many countries out there that I have probably never even heard of. The people who live throughout the world might have not even heard of my country (even though I'd like to think so because, come on, I'm from the U.S.). Everyone's life goal isn't to live in America. I've never really thought that that was true, but sitting there watching that funeral procession pass by, I couldn't help but think, "where do these people want to be? What does 'making it big' mean for THEM?" Whatever that means for them, it probably has nothing to do with the United States. This was a very humbling epiphany for me.

And going on further, I thought, "... Where do I want to be? What are my dreams and goals?" I've never really been a goal-centered person. I thought it would be cool to play college basketball, but I never had the drive and aspiration to work for it. I never really had a goal or ambition of being the valedictorian of my graduating high school class; I did my work and studied to do the best I could. I've never really dreamed of going to college anywhere special. It was always inevitable that I was going to go to ACU. I've never (up until this year) known what I wanted to do with my life. At all. In fact, I still only have this tiny vague idea of what my life will look like, and even then, who knows what God has in store for me.

After visiting Ukraine, I realized what the purpose of life really is: giving up your life for the sake of a bigger cause: the kingdom. It was not until my Ukraine experiences that I discovered what it means to have a dream and to actually have one myself, one that I believe God has placed in my heart. I want to be there for people. I want to be there for people who need hope. I don’t dream of fame. I don’t dream of being wealthy. In fact, those are two very dangerous and destructive things that I think can get a lot of people in trouble. I want to inspire people by my life. I want to help people realize by my example that you don’t have to live like the rest of the world; you don’t have to be wealthy and famous to live every day with joy and fulfillment. I want God to live through me to make people realize that joy comes from HIM and HIM alone. I want to be a part of God’s kingdom here one earth.

Jesus, “Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” If Jesus, a sinless man, humbled himself this much, how much more should we, sinning people, humble ourselves. Jesus could have stayed in heaven where he was comfortable on his throne, but he chose to go. I want to go where Jesus would go, whether that means America, Ukraine, Tanzania, or Thailand. I don’t want to stay. I want to go out into the world and be God’s ambassador. “Adventure is out there!” and I want to find it with HIM.

So to answer my question, I don't know where people dream of being. I don't know if they dream of getting out of where they’re from or if they dream of staying home their whole life if they even dream at all. But I sure would like to find out. And maybe, just maybe, if I share my dream with others, it will inspire them to dream too.

So I want to ask you; what is your dream? Where are you trying to go in life? Do you want to go there for yourself or for God? I challenge you to think about it and if you don’t like your answer, then allow God to change you. “And whatever you do, whether by speech or action, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).