"Here comes that dreamer!"

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. --Genesis 37:17b-19 (NIV)

I read the story of Joseph for my Bible as literature class this morning and this part made me stop dead in my tracks: "Here comes that dreamer!"

I thought, Man! I'd love to have that said about me!

Joseph's brothers meant it as a derogatory statement, something they put him down for. Granted, Joseph was a little boastful in telling his brothers about his dreams--dreams that showed them all bowing down to him.

But to be a dreamer is not a negative characteristic. Certainly one must be more than a dreamer-- a dreamer must actively pursue his/her dreams in order for them to be of any real value. But it all starts with a dream.

And the ones who are dreamers are the ones who make the most difference. Can you think of anyone who greatly impacted our world who didn't have a dream, a vision, a passion?

Let's go back to Joseph for a moment. His dreams got him into some trouble with his brothers. But later, his dreams are exactly what get him out of trouble, into the pharoah's favor, and into the position of second in command of all Egypt. And in this position and with his dreams, he was able to prepare for a famine and save countless lives.

Dreams are dangerous. People may not always agree with us or like us because of them. Dreams are sometimes difficult. We may have to do some work to actually make them happen. But dreams are also vitally important. Great people are not made and great feats are not accomplished by accident (with an exception or two).

It is the people who pursue their dreams and live out their passions that impact their world--whether their world is a classroom full of children, a congregation, their family, community, or all the inhabited continents on the face of the earth.

Don't let anyone tell you your dreams are stupid, unrealistic, or unattainable. Most importantly, don't let yourself tell you that. Dreams are powerful if powerfully pursued. They can come true. And they can change the world.