There goes my hero

“Life can become so loud that it plays with your ears.” 

I heard this statement recently and haven’t been able to get it out of my head. We grow up with dreams of being the next superhero. Possibly you desired to become the next brain surgeon, the President of the United States, or even the next Nolan Ryan or Willie Mays? Dreams. Hopes. Desires. We’ve all had them.

(I know you know - Washington, D.C.)

But somehow through the NOISE of life, those ‘things’ that we had hoped to become get rearranged. The yard needs mowing, the kids need feeding, and the time card has to be filled out……while these things are important in their own right, we are left with a deep longing for more.

Jesus said in John 10:10 (MSG) "I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." Yet, so many Christ followers are settling for the mundane ritual of a life ‘survived’ and not a life ‘lived.’

Where are the adventurous childlike dreams that once caused us to run through life with the belief of better things to come? You know - that something that caused us to jump out of bed with excitement at the beginning of each new day.

(Lincoln Memorial Sleeping Ducks - Washington, D.C.)

I can remember as a kid when our church would have Saturday softball tournaments. Because of my age I couldn’t play yet, but I was up before dawn, dressed in my uniform, waking up my dad, ready to go. The excitement of spending a day at the ballpark - pretending I was the next great one, was more than I could stand.

I’ve had to ask myself lately, where did that childlike excitement go? Sure, we’re to put away childish things – but I don’t believe God ever meant for us to put away our child-inspired dreams.

Matthew 18:3 (NLT) says, “And he said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. I believe the same is true for life on this earth. You will never experience life MORE abundantly until you reach deep within and find your hope(s) again.

The old saying goes: ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” The first step you should take is kneeling before Him. If your dreams – your desires – your hopes of adventure have been derailed by the noise of life…..the silence to hear through it all can be covered by prayer. He will then guide you to that place of overflowing excitement.

(THE Philly Phanatic)

In the meantime, I’m going outside to be Superman for a while.