Dreaming is Free?

Posted on Sep 23, 2011 in Community Development | 2 comments

There is a neon green sign that greets me in the elevator every morning that I go to my office.  It reads:

“Hope is the ability to hear the music of the future; Faith is the courage to dance to it today.”

No matter how many times I read it, it makes me smile.  It is a constant reminder of why I do what I do.

My mom will tell you I was born a dreamer.  I was one of those kids that could stare up at the clouds for hours and see elephants, tigers and ships.  I have always seen things others could not see but often missed what was right in front of me.

As a teenager my favorite song was “Dreaming” by Blondie.  The chorus of the song goes like this:

“Dreaming, Dreaming is Free.  Dreaming, Dreaming is Free.”

I used to think everyone was like me – in a constant state of looking toward the future, straining to hear the music and occasionally dancing to it even when no one else could hear it.  I have found that I am a bit of an anomaly.  While I have always ascribed to Debra Harry’s conclusion that “Dreaming is free”, I have discovered that dreaming is also very costly.

I have spent the past ten years of my life on a quest to discover the dreams of others.  I have found it is the quickest way to really get to know someone.  The shocking part of my quest is that some people, particularly those who are poor or who have suffered great disappointments in their lives, simply stopped dreaming somewhere along the way.  Having ones’ dreams dashed time and time again, hurts deeply.  It is too high a price to pay.  No dream means less pain.

In my book I interviewed a woman named Martha who has worked with impoverished families for more than twenty years.  Martha said this,

“Depression grows out of a sense of hopelessness.  The most powerful thing we can give people is hope.  Many people do not have dreams.  A dream is a luxury our clients think they cannot afford.  However with a dream comes hope – hope in a future that is better than today’s reality. A dream is a powerful motivator.  If we can help our clients find their dream, set realistic goals, then we can help them break the cycle of poverty.”

We are about to re-order our business cards.  Under my official “Executive Director” title, I am going to have printed my real job title – the one that actually describes my calling in life, “Dream Releaser.”

This week was “Dream Week” in the rhythm of life at Embrace.  We just launched a new year with new team members.  The first part of the process was for everyone to share what they care about and the gifts, talents and abilities they have that they are willing to use in the community.  These were the top ten gifts and passions:

#1 Caring for Elderly, #2 Cooking, #3 Working with Children, #4 Fishing, #5 Dancing/Fitness, #6 Cleaning, #7 Playing Games, #8 Fixing Things, #9 Writing, #10 Computer Skills.

Step two of our dreaming process is to take what we have (ie the gifts above) and figure out how we can use what we have to address one of the needs identified by the community through our year-long listening process.  These are the needs the residents have identified:

#1 Improved safety especially for the elderly and children

#2 Employment opportunities for those with barriers

#3 More activities for children and families

#4 A stronger sense of community to combat the level of isolation and depression many feel

# 5 Greater access to goods and services

#6 Reduction in substance abuse and improved health of residents

Step three is to draw a picture together of what it would look like if we used what we have to meet these needs.  Here are some of the pictures that the community drew showing how they could use what they have to address the needs

Picture #1 – “Family Fun Day”  It was a picture of seniors gathered around a table playing games and doing crafts.  There was food prepared by the great cooks on the team and each senior was teamed up with a preschool child.  It was a beautiful picture of what it means for us to be family together.  The single parents were given a break and taken out on a field trip so they could actually have adult conversations.  This picture addressed many of the needs identified by the residents.

Picture #2 – “Healthy Cooking Cook Off”  In this picture residents were given fresh produce and challenged to create healthy dishes to share with one another.  Charles insisted that fried chicken was as healthy are he gets, so we are going to have him as the example of “how not to prepare food.”

Picture #3 – “Trash to Treasure Day”  This picture was of people bringing their broken things to the recreation center and our builders/fix it guys either repairing it or recycling it into something new.  There were “swap” tables for folks to donate things they did not need any more or to find new treasures to take home.

There were many other pictures like fitness classes, fishing trips and more.  I don’t know if any of this year’s dreams will come true but over the past year I saw the dream for a food pantry, computer lab, a clothing closet and care team come to life.  These successes have helped our community begin to have hope and as you saw in our summer video – we are dancing to the music together.

When I think back to all the dreams that have inspired me in my journey, I realize that not all my dreams ended up looking exactly the way I thought they would.  However, each of them moved me a little further along.  The achievements I am most proud of like my beautiful family, my ministry, publishing a book, etc., were all team efforts.  None of us get very far in life dreaming alone.

This year my dream is to introduce “Dream Circles” at Embrace as a way of creating space for congregational partners and resident leaders to help make dreams come true in distressed neighborhoods.

What is a “Dream Circle?”  I am not certain of the exact format they will take but I have a lovely group of folks who are going to help me figure it out.  They are my “Dream Circle” and we have a shared desire to see the Body of Christ released into the world and to bring hope to those who need a little help making their dreams for this city come true.

I think Jesus was a dreamer.  His dream was that “the Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Dreaming may be free, but if you are going to dream with King Jesus, just know, it will cost you everything.

What God given dreams have been placed in your heart?

What gifts, talents and abilities do you have to build on?

What needs do you see across this city?

What do you care enough about to actually do?

Would you be interested in helping others see their dreams come true?