Big, Tangible Dream

Have you ever read The Tale Of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo? If you haven't then rush out, find a copy and read it. It's a really good story. I don't want to hear you whine about how it's a written for 4th and 5th graders, and you're much too grown up to be caught reading a childrens book. It's worth it.

Believe it or not, this post isn't actually about books. It's just that when I was thinking about typing this post, a passage from the book came to mind. There's a woebegone character in the book named Miggery Sow, and she has a truly awful story. She spends the entire book being told, "Nobody cares what you want, Mig!" She spends her entire story life waiting for someone to care about what she wants.

Human beings are driven to dream. It's more than just a lust to have or do more. People without dreams die. If we couldn't allow ourselves to ever dream, we couldn't allow ourselves to be loved by God.

The reason Miggery comes to mind was because I was thinking about something I want. Something I REALLY want. For some reason, this brought Miggery Sow to mind, and it occurred to me how awful it would be to have to live like Miggery Sow: a life where no one cares about your dreams, and should you ever dare to dream, you are punished, scoffed, and beaten rather than encouraged.
 
Personally, I have always been a rampant dreamer. Big dreams, little dreams, fickle dreams, heartfelt dreams, heart wrenching dreams, I entertain them all.

I have been fortunate to be allowed to live the opposite life of Miggery Sow. I have people in my life who listen to my dreams and say, "So, how are you going to get there?" and "You can do that." and "Let me help." You, blogfriend, are probably thinking of at least one person who has done this for you, too.

The hard part about writing this blog is that Miggery Sow's story is true. She's a million true stories. Not in the book. No, it's a fictional book. What I mean to say is, as I thought about my dreams, and then Miggery Sow,

I realized that there are so many people who live Miggery Sow's life: a life so harsh that nobody cares what they want, nobody encourages dreaming, and any dreaming that slips out gets squashed immediately.

Honestly, I had started this post to go in to depth about what I've been dreaming:

This is Magarette, nickname "Liline." She is 13, and I have been sponsoring her since she was 9. She lives in Haiti. Ever since the day I sponsored her, I have wanted to go to Haiti to meet her, and every year, the desire intensifies.

That's the big want I was going to blog about, but I think, now that it's written down, the better focus of this blog is on the people who don't get to spout their dreams freely.

 Liline dreams.

She has people encouraging her to do so(I know, I get to be one of them). Liline dreams about going to college and becoming a teacher. Liline dreams about her sponsor coming to meet her, and feeding her sponsor corn, and having her sister sing for her sponsor. Don't worry about Liline. She dreams well. Liline has parents who care. Liline has Compassion International. Liline has a sponsor who cares, too. Most importantly, Liline knows that God cares.

Part of the reason Liline can dream, though is because Compassion International works in her area. They work with her parents to help provide her with an education, and they spend time with Liline, encouraging her, daring her to dream, and prodding her to achieve those dreams.

It is a combined effort. Compassion weeds, tills and nourishes the dirt, plants the seeds, and then the sponsor gets to help by adding a little water. The sponsor gets to come along after the hard work is done and confirm what Compassion has been trying to get across by saying, "It's true: you are worthwhile. Your dreams do matter."

Liline is taken care of. Don't worry about her.

However, there are many children waiting for someone's encouragement to dream, and some of those children don't have parents who understand the need for encouragement or the importance of dreams, because they have never been allowed dreams for themselves. And then some of those children don't have parents.

People need to be able to dream, because if they can't dream, then they can't come anywhere near imagining that there is a God who loves them, who cares about their dreams. Who sacrificed himself for them.



I don't want this to sound like a sales pitch. I hate those. Sales pitches are followed by buyer's remorse. I don't want that to happen here.

I just want to ask you:

Would you like to help grow a dreamer?

Because if you do, Compassion International is a great way to do it.

All it takes is $38 dollars a month, and some ink on paper.

The money helps pay for Compassion's work with the children, and if you really want to encourage a child to dream then a write letter every month or so (the ink on paper) to the child.

The letters are where the real growth happens, because if you write those letters, then every time that child is told in some way,

"You are worthless. Nobody cares about your hopes!"

that child has a letter in his pocket from his sponsor that says, "Don't listen to those lies. I care. You are valuable. Tell me about your dreams. You can do it."

It doesn't seem like it requires much for such a big promise, does it?



If Miggery Sow had a sponsor, her story might have turned out differently. Some one could have told her, "Your dreams are tangible! Keep dreaming!"



Miggery Sow is a fictional character.






But these kids aren't fictional, and neither are their dreams.






Thanks for reading.