There are two types of people in the world: realists and dreamers. Realists look at the world and see it for how it is. Dreamers look at the world and see it for how it could be or how they want it to be. One type of person is not better than the other; both have their pros and cons. Ideally, we would all have the perfect blend of a realist and a dreamer but unfortunately we don’t. Lucky for us, God knows the necessity for both types of people in the world and made us all different so that we could balance each other out.
I’m a dreamer. I always have been and I always will be. Therefore, I’m familiar with the pros and cons of being a dreamer. Dreamers have a positive outlook. As I said, they choose to see the world as it could be not as it is currently. They watch the news and hold on to that one story that brings hope. They have high expectations. They still believe that one person can make a difference.
On the con side, they are easily disappointed, or at least this dreamer is. Like I said, dreamers often have high expectations for themselves and others. They anticipate these expectations to be met. When they are not met and reality sets in, dreamers lose some of what they hold on to so tightly- hope. Unfortunately, with high expectations (or any expectations at all) sometimes comes disappointment. Why? Because people are flawed. No one is perfect. We’re going to fail. We’re going to fall short. We’re going to let each other and ourselves down. Disappointment is just a part of this life, and whether it’s big or small it still causes pain.
So what’s a dreamer to do? Stop having expectations to avoid disappointment? Stop believing there is still hope? Stop dreaming? No. God makes dreamers for a reason. Disappointment is unavoidable. It is something we have to learn to deal with. We are not to let it tear us down and distract us from our goals. Dreamers can afford to take a lesson from the realists and understand that evil does exist. Dreamers need to look at the world and recognize that it is sinful and imperfect, but they must not stop believing that one person can make a difference. After all, one person already did- His name is Jesus. And Jesus has already told us, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Are you a dreamer? Do you believe that you can make a difference? Is disappointment plaguing you and causing you to lose hope in that belief? If so, from one dreamer to another, don’t let it. Chances are you’ve already made a difference in a life, and that life is making a difference in other lives, causing a rippling effect. And remember, the disappointment caused by situations or people not meeting your expectations is likely just what God intended. So keep dreaming. One day the world will be all as it should be.