Bad Dreams

on Aug 01 in Art and Media, Church, Everyday Life, Leadership

Artists and leaders have this in common:¬† Their minds are always racing with what “could be”.¬† There is always a new idea, always a potentially better path, always a piece of art that could change the landscape for the viewer.

Artists and leaders are dreamers.

Artists live out their dreams within the context of their art.  With every new piece of art, they have hope that something will change, or be seen in a new or better way.

Leaders live out their dreams within the context of their organizations.  With every new idea, path, or program, they have hope that something will change, or be seen in in a new or better way.

Dreams are good.  And dreaming is healthy.

But there is a point where both the artist and the leader have bad dreams.

When artists and leaders begin to attach expectations to their dreams, they create nightmares.

The artist writes a song, and fully expects it to get picked up by a record label.¬† She’s taken a dream (song writing), and attached an expectation to it. It doesn’t happen, and she becomes angry and resentful at God.¬†¬† Depressive seasons in the life of any artist can mostly be traced to placing expectations on God or culture for the impact of their art.

The pastor goes to the SaddlystCreek Pastor’s Conference, and sees how church can be done differently.¬† There is a dream deeply implanted in his heart.¬† He comes back to his own unique congregation, and begins enacting his dream.¬† But he (unknowingly?) attaches the expectation of rapid growth onto that dream.¬† The church grows only marginally, and the pastor is disillusioned.

Here’s the deal with dreams:¬† God does not give us these dreams – He only loans them to us. They are not ours to own – They are only ours to steward.

Artists and leaders must become people who are content with attaching flesh onto the skeleton of their dreams, but who have no control over the growth or expansion of the body.

Our only job today and every day, is to dive more deeply into the river of unending love with the Dream Giver.  He will grow us.  He will continue to give us dreams.

And we learn (mostly through tears and pain) that anything that happens as a result of our dreams is completely His to create, to own, and to receive glory for.

What are your dreams?¬† What expectations have you attached to those dreams?¬† We’re all friends here, so post freely.¬† And, as always, if anyone begins critiquing another person’s dreams, I won’t post it.