.

When I first saw the movie Field of Dreams in 1989 it made little sense to me; I just could not figure it out. Over the last 20 years it has not only become a movie with a clear message; it has become one that inspires and reminds me of my own dreams and how to respond to them.

In this movie Ray lives in rural Iowa with his wife Annie and daughter Karin. One day as he walks through his cornfield he hears a voice whisper, “If you build it, he will come” and sees a vision of a baseball field. Ray, who fears of becoming like his father who lacked any spontaneity and with whom he stopped playing catch with at the age of 14, convinces Annie to allow him to plow under a section of corn and build a baseball field in the middle of nowhere.

After a year of nothing happening Ray and Annie had to consider replacing the field with corn to stay afloat financially; but things change at the last moment when Annie sees someone on the field. A player from the past appears, Shoeless Joe Jackson and asks if he can bring others. Ray agrees and in and out of the corn in the outfield comes players from the past to play the game they love. Only Annie, Ray and Karin can see these players, at least at first.

Now through all this time Ray is not making a lot of money, enter the brother in law who is insisting that he sell the farm to him and some investors so he will have a place to live. Mark, the brother in law cannot see the players until one moment during a scuffle and from that moment on changes his mind and insist Ray not sell the farm.

Let me move quickly without turning this into a review of movies from the 80’s. Throughout the movie he hears whispers, one is ‘ease his pain’ which leads him to a recluse writer who eventually ends up disappearing into the corn field behind the outfield with the players. Another voice comes to him that says ‘go the distance’ while at a Boston Red Sox game with the writer.

Indeed Ray goes the distance, builds the field, has a chance to play catch with his dad again and ends up restoring more than a few lives along the way, including his own. During the movie he believes that the voice he keeps hearing is that of Joe Jacksons, but at the end of the movie Jackson tells Ray the voice he has heard is his own.

I believe that in each of us God has placed a dream, that in His still small voice he encourages us to follow that dream. That dream is what will give us purpose and add flavor to our lives. For some it is to build homes or practice law, for others it is to buy stocks, feed the homeless or raise children. The list of dreams is endless and the point of this life God gives us is not that we have a dream; we all do, but that we follow it.

As we chase the dream God has set in our heart we need to remember a few things. First is that our dream is not everyone else’s and they may not buy into what your dream is. Don’t be discouraged by that continue to chase what God has purposed in your heart.

Keep in mind also that in each life he will send an Annie that believes in you, that gives you the freedom to chase your dream and encourages you along the way, even if it makes little sense to them. The Annie’s (Ray’s wife) are invaluable in chasing your God given desires, be sure and thank them along the journey.

Just as there are encouragers there are those who have lost sight of their own dream and will discourage you around every corner. They do not believe in you or your dream and their desire is for you to fail. Listen to their legitimate concerns then move on keeping in mind that success or failure does not come from reaching a destination in life but in following the will of God for your life; it is all about the journey.

No matter how old you are today, there is still a dream in your heart, chase it. Perhaps times have gotten hard or things are not working out quite as you planned, don’t stop. More than anything listen for that still small voice of God which gives direction, encouragement and hope to those who follow their dreams. Do what the voice encouraged Ray to do, ‘go the distance’.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.” New Century Version

Prayer: Dear Lord, give us the courage, the strength and the power to follow the dreams you have placed in our hearts. Have us to learn to listen to you and find joy in the journey you have prepared for us. We ask these things in the name of He who loves, Jesus Christ, Amen.