Perhaps you feel stuck in your job, are considering a job change, orwant to start you own business, but just can’t seem to do anythingabout it. Or maybe you’ve already started a new job or business, buthave found the obstacles along the way seemingly insurmountable.
No matter what’s stopping you from moving forward, Bruce Wilkinson’s new book could change your life.
Wilkinson has been stirring the Christian community ever since his Prayer of Jabez hit the shelves. But if Jabez encourages you to enlarge your horizon to do great things for God, The Dream Giver(Multnomah Publishers, 2003) deals with the thoughts and otherobstacles that keep you from attaining those great things. Wilkinsoneven says in his introduction, “Every Dreamer soon learns that the roadto the future you really want is clogged with Dream-threateningobstacles.”
As you begin to read The Dream Giver, you’ll quickly find yourself thinking of a Christian Version of "The Secret." In. The Dream Giver,the hero is someone named Ordinary, who, as the name suggests, is an average man orwoman of the Christian faith, living in the land of Familiar or Comfortable. This, ofcourse, represents the comfort zone that most of us build aroundourselves. Familiar is populated by Nobodies, people who don’t“generally expect the unexpected” and don't want to rock the boat or stray far from the norm.
Now Ordinary has a conversation with the Dream Giver, which sends himon a journey – to follow his dream, his true passion in life. Yes, says the Dream Giver, believethat the Dream is from Me, and follow it where it takes you. Ordinarylikes the idea that instead of being a Nobody, he can become aSomebody. But there are hurdles to cross.
The very first hurdle is to actually believe that the DreamGiver gives the innermost desires. Did Ordinary really have a Big Dreamfrom the Dream Giver? Or was it too much Merlot last night? Interestingly, itwas his father who gave Ordinary that little impetus to follow hisDream.
If getting courage to follow a Dream is not hard enough toovercome, then our own comfort zone can be the next hurdle toaccomplishing our Dream. Many people suffer from the RTC factor – resistant to change.We love to think we welcome change, but try to move us too far awayfrom that which we’ve become accustomed to and you’ll see how muchchange you enjoy.
The Journey Begins
The author’s parable takes Ordinary from the Comfort Zone ofFamiliar to the unknown territory of Borderland. Slowly, Ordinaryovercomes the fear of the unknown and steps forward. And, surprisinglyto him, the unknown is not as bad as it was imagined.
Before he finally leaves the Comfort Zone, however, Ordinarymust deal with the hurdle of family and friends. These people ought tobe his closest allies, but instead they become a big obstacle in ajourney that will continue the rest of his life. First, his motherchallenges his Big Dream. This is a familiar pattern for many, sincemany mothers and wives with their “nesting” qualities don’t alwaysappreciate the steps (they call them “risks”) to achieving a Big Dream.Then there are wider family members who might deter you from yourDreams.
But just as there are those who discourage, so it is possibleto find others who have successfully left Familiar and followed theirDream. It’s interesting that the author indicates that we need friendsif we are to achieve our Big Dream, those who will support us in thequest of what appears to be Uncertainty.
Now the problem with a parable of this nature is that ittouches home. How many times have you experienced this kind of responsefrom parents and close friends – possibly even from your wife orhusband? “You can’t do that. It’s too risky.” Or, “how on earth did youever get the idea that you could do that?”
For some reason, it’s easy for the “power of negative thinking”to take hold of those close to you. If you’re not careful, you begin todoubt not only that you have a Dream, but also that the Dream Giverplanted it in you.
When the Going Gets Tough…
If following a Big Dream were easy, we would not need books suchas this to help us on our way. And Wilkinson is aware there can beyears in the Wasteland, the next hurdle to achieving a Dream. In thereality of life, following a Dream can be frustrating, appear to be awaste of time, and burdened with difficulties. The Dream Giver appearsnowhere to be found, and Ordinary thinks he’s abandoned. This is theWasteland.
At this stage, the author introduces us to Faith – sent by theDream Giver to help. The first thing Ordinary asks is that he be giventhe directions back to Familiar. But Faith cannot help him. “’Thatfigures,’ [says] Ordinary. ‘The Dream Giver sends me a helper who can’teven help.’”
How many of us, when our Dreams seem shattered, react likeOrdinary? Whose fault is it we’re in the Wasteland and nothing appearsto be going right? We do not like to find fault with ourselves. And wecertainly do not entertain easily the idea that maybe we need thisWasteland to help our character develop the way the Dream Giver thinksis necessary. So we blame the Dream Giver for our difficulties, rail athim for his apparent withdrawal from us, and like Ordinary, we want toturn back from following our Dream.
Ordinary, fortunately, follows Faith, finds Sanctuary and a reneweddialogue with the Dream Giver, and is encouraged to move forward. Buthe can achieve this only if he surrenders his Big Dream to the DreamGiver. Which he does, only to find that his Big Dream comes back to himlarger than before. Surrendering your Big Dream to the Dream Giver isthe only way to make sure that the Dream itself comes from the DreamGiver.
The Obstacles Grow, But So Does Hope
Encouraged to move ahead, Ordinary soon finds himself confrontedby the Land of the Giants. By now, Ordinary has met other Dreamers, andencouraged by their stories and encouragement learns that he can dobattle with Giants of all kinds.
But he also meets the Wounded Warrior who, surprisingly, sharesthe same Big Dream. The Wounded Warrior, however, is dying on the fieldof battle, her Big Dream never quite realized. But she helps Ordinarysee that sometimes a Big Dream is bigger than a single person. She dieson the battlefield to help Ordinary get further than he mightotherwise. These are the people who prepare the ground for our BigDream, and make it possible for us to move further ahead than those whohave gone before.
Ordinary also realizes, however, that for the Wounded Warrior,death on the battlefield was her Big Dream. He senses that Big Dreamscan take more than one person and more than one lifetime, an importantlesson many need to learn.
Prepare for Battle
Here in the Land of the Giants, however, Ordinary meets theAnybodies. They come from the City of Anybodies, where a Giant ofDarkness holds them in captivity and oppresses them from his strongholdat the gates. No one can leave or enter. The Anybodies do not believein the Dream Giver, but Ordinary hears the Dream Giver’s instruction:“Prepare for Battle.” Now he’s told to put down his weapons and dobattle with the Giant of Darkness. In the name of the Dream Giver,Ordinary overcomes the Giant, resulting in the Anybodies singingpraises to the Dream Giver.
Now Ordinary is ready for the Promised Land. As he walkedthrough the Anybodies’ city, he heard the Dream Giver say, “What do yousee?”
Ordinary saw what the Dream Giver wanted him to see. “‘I see beautiful Anybodies in great need,’ he said.”
And he saw something else: the Name of his Dream carved on theinside of the gate of the city of Anybodies. Ordinary had arrived. Thiswas his Dream.
In this fascinating parable, Bruce Wilkinson not only takes uson a journey of following a Big Dream, but at the same time seems tolay down a challenge. We do not find out until the end of the parableexactly what Ordinary’s Dream really is – helping those less fortunate.This is certainly the journey of the author himself, whose recent workin Africa helping the less fortunate has been an inspiration andtestimony to the power of God.
But is this the Big Dream that all of us share? What of thosewho dream of being artists, doctors, mechanics, lawyers, housewives andmothers? Are these valid dreams? Certainly the story of Ordinaryapplies to many who have never made it to Africa, yet who equallystruggle in the Wasteland or the Land of Giants trying to fulfill theirBig Dream.
Time to Dream Big
The Parable takes only the first part of the book. The secondpart is the Parable applied. As the author says, “the good news forevery Dreamer is that each stage or obstacle along our journey isintended not to block our dream, but to help us break through to thefulfillment God promises.”
Wilkinson believes that each person has a Dream, but they donot always pursue it. No wonder there’s so much unhappiness in acountry such as America where people are abundantly blessed witheconomic prosperity. For many, they work at the job to pay down themortgage, put bread and butter on the table, educate the children, andprovide for old age.
But deep within each one of us there’s often that “other man orwoman” who wishes we were doing something else. Time and circumstancedo not always permit us to follow our Dream, and I think the author isaware of this. That is why he wrote the book.
But he also wrote the book to encourage you in the journey oflife. He wants you to look inside and find the Dream that has beenplanted there by the Dream Giver. Then follow the Dream wherever itleads. But don’t be surprised if it lands you in the Promised Land.It’s there you’ll find Anybodies who need help and encouragement sothat they too can follow what appears to be “the impossible dream.”
Whether your goal is to be a musician or a missionary, apolitician or a preacher, a banker or a businessman, this book willencourage you. If you haven’t started on your Big Dream, this book willchallenge you to move forward. And if you’re struggling in theWasteland and battling Giants of all kinds, this book is a timelyreminder that you should not give up just yet. The Dream Giver is usingthose circumstances to make you into the kind of person he wants you tobe.
But perhaps most of all, The Dream Giver challengesyou to discover that at the end of the day, your Dream has a widerpurpose than just your own personal achievement or satisfaction. Theneeds of others less privileged than you make such selfish aims appearcallous.
And after reading this book, you’ll have no choice but to move forward.
I highly recommend this read or if you are short of time like me, buy the DVD which is great to watch and is in 30 minute increments.
Lance
-Esse Quam Videri-