In 1988 Francis Ford Coppola directed a film titled, TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM. The film recounts the story of Preston Tucker who tried to fight the Detroit automobile industry in 1948 by attempting to introduce a car named after himself. In one scene, Tucker (played by Jeff Bridges) is talking about how his mother came from the old country. She was Italian and spoke with a very heavy accent. Tucker remembered that when he was young his mother repeatedly said to him, "Don't get too close to people, you'll catch their dreams." What she was actually saying in broken English was, "Don't get too close to people, you'll catch their germs." But Tucker grew up thinking she was telling him, "Don't get too close to people or you'll catch their dreams." That can happen sometimes, can't it? We can get so close to people that we catch their dreams. I hope that one day we will be so close to Christ that we will catch His dream for us.
Visions and dreams are key elements for life's great achievements. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Prov. 29:18).
William Carey had a dream. He was the first missionary in modern history. His great dream was to go to Burma to preach the gospel at a time when church leaders are saying, "If God wants to save the Asians, He can do it all by Himself--without us!" Yet Carey had a vision for missions and he would not be denied. His life motto was "attempt great things for God, and expect great things from God." His dream eventually came to pass. Multitudes came to Christ.
We need to catch a vision to reach the unchurched among us. Let our New Year’s prayer be this: God of great vision, help me to catch Christ's dream of being close to you and empower me to share your great love with others. Amen.
