A new year should breed dreams. Psychologist Sheelagh Manheim writes about her father who in 1938 at the age of seventy-four fell deathly ill with bronchitis. Burdened with financial problems from the Great Depression, he nevertheless went out and planted a row of redwood trees.
He told his grandson that he would live to see them grow tall. Ten years later he had recovered his financial losses. He died in peace having seen his redwood trees grown tall. Regardless of your age, health, or financial status, as you read this reflection know you are not too old or sick to plant a future. Not to plant or plan is to bring the curtain down on the play of your life, since without dreams and visions, tomorrow you are either already dead or dying. Being dream-dead is like being brain-dead, it is a near-life state where the body continues its routine functions, but isn’t truly alive. We humans are disposed to have visions for tomorrow as part of the natural unfolding of our latent embryonic possibilities. At every age, creation’s spirit says, “You’re not finished yet. Don’t stop growing.” Today, if you lack the space to plant a tree, then plant a dream. Plan for something that you like to do; most importantly, be.
Help me disregard my limitations,
shake off the inertia of aging,
and plant seeds of a new tomorrows,
fertilizing them with enthusiasm.
From A Book of Wonders by Ed Hays
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Prayer action suggestion:
Plant a dream every day in this coming year. Make it a part of your daily prayer or meditation ritual.
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