We use the word dream with different meanings. We can mean dreams while we sleep, daydreaming, or we can dream as when we long for something desirable, a vision of the way we would like things to be.
When our children and grandchildren were little, they would sometimes tell us what they wanted to become or accomplish in life as if they could plan their life story all at once, way in advance. Sometimes their dreams were wildly imaginative and wonderfully ambitious. We would encourage them to dream, guide them to be patient, to seek what makes them truly happy – where they find their greatest joy.
As we move into Advent, a time of longing, expectation, and preparation, it may be an optimum time to meditate about what we long for; what is the dream for our family that brings us joy?
On occasion, in the Bible, the Lord used dreams to guide His people. We find in the Scriptures some stories where dreams reveal an underlying, driving hope, a patient waiting, an assurance of love inspired by God’s Spirit operating for good with vitality and mysterious grace.
I think God’s grace surprises us – providing opportunities and choices we could never have written into our life plan when we were young.
Often in the Scripture, there were faithful people whom God chose to keep His promises moving forward in service to His loving care for humanity.
In Matthew’s Gospel, we read about Joseph, spouse of Mary, foster father of Jesus, who comes into our faith story. Without a word, he patiently, faithfully, and willingly embraced God’s purpose as revealed by angels in dreams. In this way, a promise was fulfilled, a family survived, and ultimately God’s mysterious redemptive love accomplished the salvation of humankind.
I think Advent anticipates and prepares us for how the dream becomes real in our own lives. God’s Kingdom is within our midst. Jesus is present to us – within us. Empowered by His grace, we can choose to love – to actively seek the good for everyone we meet, all people. Patient with life’s difficulties and challenges, we keep God’s promise moving forward.
“Let your love come to me, LORD, salvation in accord with your promise.” (Psalm 119:41)
Let us pray within our families to be faithful persons, to make the dream real by how we live our lives serving God’s loving purpose.