In this month we recognize what is known as Black History month. And being that it is such, I want to talk about a dream. Community, it is alright to dream; we all have them at one time or another; a dream defined by the MW Collegiate dictionary is a “series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep.”
But there’s another kind of dream, and that’s called a daydream, the kind that you can be in one place but your mind is a hundred miles away, the kind that some people have at church. They can be in the church building but their minds are lost in space! These of the kind of dreams you have with your eyes wide open. But another definition for the word dream means “a strongly desired goal or purpose.”
The kind of dream that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had when he spoke at “the march on Washington” in August of 1963, the famous “I have a dream” speech. And you know, I think, that if Dr. King was alive today he would see some progress since he made that speech, and this would make him glad. But on the other hand I think, that he would be disappointed; and this would make him sad. Glad that in some places we live in better houses, have better opportunities but sad on the other hand how that even among the African American people we have failed to keep the dream alive!
Community, dreams will die if we let them; some of us know about that. We had dreams as children. Some ladies dreamed you would be Mrs. America, and marry a famous senator. Some ladies dreamed you would be Cinderella; and that Prince Charming would come riding on a white horse and whisk you away! Some men dreamed you would be like Mike (Michael Jordan)! And have a tennis shoe brand with your name on it, but not only did your dream not come true, here you are can’t even afford to buy a pair of the shoes! But something happened and your dream died! But also let me tell us that as it relates to dreams, that there are dream killers! There are people who, if you let them, will kill your dream! Because your dream irritates them; it irks them; it rubs them the wrong way. And then, when God gives you a dream to do something, to be something, or he reveals in a dream what he is going to do for you and through you, you don’t need to be telling everybody about your dream. Some dreams you need to keep to yourself!
Let the Lord bring it to fruition, but don’t you go telling everybody about your dream! Because some people if they can will kill your dream; somebody should have told that to Joseph. In Genesis chapter 37 the bible says “And Joseph dreamed a dream, and TOLD it to his brothers (first mistake): and they hated him yet the more.” Because in verse 3 of this chapter the bible says “Now Israel (Jacob) Joseph’s father, loved Joseph more than all his children … and he made him a coat of many colors.” According to verse 4 “when the brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than all of them, they hated him and would not speak friendly unto him.”
To parents reading today, the worst mistake that we could make as parents, is to show favoritism among our children! For when we do, we build a wedge between them. I know that they are all different, and some are better than others, but if you want to sow discord among your children and cause them to rebel and resent you and their siblings show favoritism! Children pick up on that; please don’t say “such and so” is my favorite child! You are setting them up for disaster! Joseph told his dream to his brothers and they hated him for it … they conspired to kill him, and eventually they threw him in some pit (verse 24). Remember community, that there a dream killers out there; and sometimes they are right there in your family. In this Black History Month, I want to say to young folks that have a dream, everybody is not happy that you are a dreamer, that you’re going to college to make something out of yourself.
Everybody don’t like the fact that you have good grades and carry yourself with self-respect, the fact that you don’t do what everybody does! Somebody reading needs to know that God has favor on you; he has set you apart; he has given you a gift, called you to a higher purpose. But Satan has somebody in your camp, in your circle who is a “dream killer!” God wants to use us for his glory; but Satan wants to kill our story! Why, do you think, out of all you’ve been through and are yet going through and you’re still here? There is purpose in your life.
Community, look up and down and all around because there’s a dream killer in town! Don’t let nobody kill your dream; Joseph went from the bottom to the top (Genesis 45:8). If you are a dreamer dream on; keep the dream alive; because dreams do come true!
