Shattered Dreams

Many people live with shattered dreams. A marriage that did not work out. A dream job that turned out to be a nightmare. Dreams that were delayed in fulfillment so long they were finally abandoned and discarded.

Dreams get shattered on the jagged rocks of reality. Superstar athletes get injured. Actors and actresses get overshadowed by other talent in Hollywood and New York. Nashville is populated with singers, musicians and song writers all hoping to make it in the country music industry but stock in backroom bars trying to scrape by. Many entrepreneurs have failed at business ventures and find themselves stuck in a job they hate just to make ends meet.

More people than we know live with shattered dreams. In the course of your conversations today just ask people if they are living out their dreams or ask if they have a shattered dream. You might be surprised by the responses.

As a child my dreams were to play professional football and to be a writer. Early in high school I faced the reality that I was not NFL material so I altered my dream. I dreamed of playing football in college. I worked toward that dream relentlessly. I often skipped lunch at school to go to the weight room to get in extra lifting. My coaches had to run me out of the locker room after school during off season as I put in extra work. In the summer I ran in the hottest parts of the day to condition myself for two-a-day work outs. I woke up early to pound the pavement before school even during football season often. I dedicated myself to to the pursuit of my dream. I subscribed to the adage, "No pain no gain." Though only 5'7" tall and weighing about 220 pounds I resolved not to be deterred from my dream.

My dream to play football in college fueled me, drove me, gave me discipline and led me to sacrifice. In the end, God opened the door for me to get a football scholarship to play for a small college in Brownwood, TX named Howard Payne University. I recall with great fondness those years playing for the Yellowjackets. I also remember vividly my last play in my last game. When the gun sounded I was on the field with our defense in a losing effort. I knew that day as I walked off the field I had donned the helmet and shoulder pads for the last time. I never suited up in the navy and gold again. I knew the dream ended that day.

The dream to play football was replaced with the new dream to serve God in ministry and to preach. With the same dedication I put toward the football dream I pursued God's call to preach. It has not always been easy and there have been many setbacks along the way. The dream remained.

In Seminary the dream morphed into a different dream for the local church. That same dream has fueled my passion for the past 25 years. No matter where I have served local churches the dream has always been the same. To build an [Acts 2:42-47] church.

There have been times when that dream was shattered. Like when Brenda and I started a church in east Texas in 2001. What started with such high hopes ended in dashed dreams and hopes.  After four years of work, sacrifice, prayers, preaching my heart out and reaching out to the community the church disbanded. The church shut down a decade ago and I still carry scars inside. When CentrePointe Community Church died part of me died with it. That is what happens with shattered dreams.

One day during that season I remember Brenda taking the boys to a movie but I stayed at home to be alone. It rained that winter day. I sat in the garage reading a book and watching it rain. Eery rain drop that fell mirrored the shattered heart I had and the tears I shed over that shattered dream inwardly. I recall this moment vividly. Suddenly, without warning, the dam burst emotionally holding those tears inside. I wept uncontrollably in that garage as I have done only half a dozen times in my life . All the pain came oozing out. All the grief gushed out from the depths of my soul. All the despair and confusion cascaded down my cheeks in puddles of tears. All the shattered dream turned into a shattered heart and shattered faith. I don't know how long I mourned that afternoon but the pain of that shattered dream still pains my soul. The grieving did not stop on that day. I mourned the death of that church for another eighteen months daily.

When a real dream is shattered part of you gets shattered too. When you give yourself wholeheartedly to the pursuit of a dream the shattering of that dream hurts deep. It wounds in a way people without dreams will never know.

For followers of Jesus shattered dreams have often translated into shipwrecked faith. These followers never recover from feeling like God abandoned and failed them. They never pick up the pieces of their broken heart and shattered faith. They live out the remainder of their days bitter and angry at God. Dead dreams sadly become icy cold callused hearts unable or unwilling to believe God for ne dreams.

I contrast that attitude with the one I read about in Genesis37-50 yesterday in Joseph. When he was around 17 he had a couple of dreams. The dreams were similar. In them Joseph became a leader and his family actually bowed to him. This infuriated his older brothers. They already knew Joseph was their father's favorite. One day they sold Joseph as a slave and told their father Joseph had been killed by wild animals.

Joseph became a slave in Egypt to Potiphar. God did abandon Joseph. Joseph excelled in his duties and gained favor with his master. Potiphar's wife saw Joseph as eye candy and repeatedly tried to seduce him. He rejected her advances and in anger she accused him falsely of sexual assault.

Joseph was thrown in prison. From Joseph's perspective those childhood dreams were shattered. He could no longer claim favorite son status. He lost his freedom and lost what looked like any opportunity to live out the dreams God planted in his heart.

God used dreams again with Joseph. He interpreted the dreams of two prisoners that one day opened the door for him to interpret a couple of dreams Pharaoh had. When they brought Joseph to interpret the dreams God revealed the meaning behind Pharaoh's dreams. Seven years of abundant harvests were going to be followed by seven years of severe drought. The dreams were a warning to prepare.

In that moment God exalted Joseph. Pharaoh made him second in command over the entire nation of Egypt. He went from prison to the palace.

Fast forward seven years and the drought came. Joseph and Egypt stock piled the seven years of abundant harvests to prepare for the lean years. Eventually the drought effected crops everywhere including Joseph's father and brothers.

Jacob's father sent his sons to get grain in Egypt and those brothers had to bow before Joseph who sat in the position of authority. Eventually Joseph's entire family came to Egypt. His childhood dreams came true. God fulfilled the things He put in Joseph's heart around two decades earlier.

For 20 years Joseph lived with a shattered dream. It appeared to be over. The dream looked dead. From Joseph's perspective in prison you could have put the last nail in the coffin and begun to throw dirt in the grave to bury the dream. In one fell swoop God stepped in and the dream not only lived again but came true. God resurrected Joseph's dream.

There is no way I can capture the encouragement this brought to me. God can resurrect shattered dreams. He does it everyday. If He doesn't resurrect a shattered dream He will replace it with a better dream for those who love God and submit to His leadership.

From where some of you are looking your shattered drams appear dead, gone forever and over and forgotten. What does God have to say about that. Even if your dream is delayed for two decades it does not mean the dream is over. There is still hope in God . There is still hope with God.

The end of Joseph's story concludes with his realization that God had masterminded his being sold into slavery and imprisonment all so he could be brought before Pharaoh to interpret those dreams to save the nation of Israel. Mind boggling.

Eventually God dusted me off, wiped my tears and healed my heart after the death of CentrePointe Community Church. In time He sent me to other churches. God's dream still lives in my soul. It drives me. The once shattered dram has been resurrected by God. He can resurrect your shattered dreams too.