The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's great hunger meet. ~ Frederick Buechner
I believe this is the place where God-given dreams reside. We all have dreams. Our dreams are a part of who we are on a deep, personal level. But all too often those dreams get lost in the day to day, month by month, turning into years, grind of our lives. Still these dreams lie deep down inside us, tapping us on the mental shoulder every now and then, reminding us that they are still there. And these dreams are given to us for a reason. They are given to us by Someone so much bigger and wiser than we are, and sometimes for a reason we may never fully comprehend. But, regardless of where these dreams come from and why we have them, we will never be the person we were created to be until we learn to embrace these dreams, understand that they are an important and vital part of who we are, and follow them. Now there are also wishes, desires, and momentary fancies that are nothing more than a distraction from becoming all that we are called to be. These are not the dreams I am writing about here. Instead, the dreams I am thinking of are the ones that speak to who we are at our core. These are the ones that give deep meaning to who we are.
And all this brings me to the book I want to review here. My first introduction to this book was actually through a video series based on this book. I loved this series so much, I watched it repeatedly, and had my kids watch it as part of their home school curriculum. And then I bought the book as well.
This book contains a modern day parable about a man named Ordinary who is invited to leave the land of the familiar and follow his big dream. He realizes that his big dream is not meant to just be a dream but to be brought to reality. So in spite of the doubts of his family and the chorus of naysayers surrounding him, he sets off on his journey into the unknown. He does not set out on this journey alone. The Dream Giver is with him and often whispers encouragement and instruction when Ordinary encounters discomfort, fear, bullies and other obstacles.
Each chapter of this parable illustrates the obstacles that those who follow big God-given dreams often encounter. There are bullies and giants, there is wasteland to cross, mountains to climb, and comfort zones to abandon. But there is also growth, excitement, and adventure. And there is the thrilling moment of reaching that place where dreams come true and the satisfaction of living in that place. And then there are new dreams! These dreams are even bigger than the first dream and once again the adventure begins.
The second half of this book is more of a how-to manual. It's kind of the equivalent of a question and answer session, filled with practical application points. Here Bruce Wilkinson shares examples from his personal life and the life of others who have been on this adventure. He gives encouragement for the person just starting out on the journey to the Land of Promise, as well as for the seasoned traveler.
This book has a permanent place of my book shelf and is a book I periodically go back to on my reading rounds. I hope it encourages you as much as it did me.
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