A Dream Come True

By Mark Hamby
Dreaming is a gift, a delightful part of childhood. Dreaming of being a teacher, a fireman, a
policeman, an astronautand even a superherois essential to the preparation of a childs
future. However, without clear direction, focused cultivation, and consideration for others,
dreaming will lead one to wander aimlessly.
Ever since I was a child I was told that I was a dreamer, and its trueI was a daydreamer.
My dreams reached their pinnacle in math class, history class, science class, and English
class. The only class I wasnt daydreaming in was gym class! As a child, dreaming was
merely a way to escape. With no direction, I wandered; with no focus, life was a blur. My
dreams remained a muddle of wishful thinking that benefited no one. Years later, through
the influence of the Word, daydreaming merged into a visionary gift that opened doors of
unimaginable proportions.
If you have a child who is a dreamer, he possesses a gift that needs a little direction and a
lot of training. In the book of Genesis we read about another dreamer; his name was Joseph.
In chapter 37 we read: And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in
the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? (Genesis 37:15). As a youth,
God had given Joseph a unique gift: the ability to see the future, but Joseph, like most
youth today, spent quite a bit of time wandering before he was able to skillfully exercise
his God-given giftedness for the benefit of others.
Josephs self-centeredness got him into a lot of trouble. Not only did his brothers hate him,
but even his father became unsettled when he realized that Joseph might be taking his air
of superiority too far (Genesis 37:10). In my opinion, it was Josephs dad who was partly to
blame because he encouraged his sons prideful self-centeredness through partiality
(Genesis 37:34). Rather than emphasizing a childs talents, parents should celebrate a
childs hard work and effort.
Even in modern times, children who are recognized as possessing extraordinary abilities as
opposed to putting forth extraordinary effort have a greater tendency to become prideful
and apathetic, relaxing their effort as they reach their adult years. This hinders the
advancement of their giftedness. To substantiate this conjecture, Stanford psychologist
Carol Dweck gave four hundred seventh-graders a set of relatively easy puzzles to assemble
and then divided them into two groups. The one group was told, You must be smart at this!
The second group was told, You must have worked really hard! Then each child was
offered the opportunity to take a follow-up test that included either another set of easy
puzzles or a much harder set of puzzles. More than 50% of the kids praised for their
intelligence chose the easy set of puzzles, and an astounding 90% of the kids praised for
their hard work chose the more difficult puzzles.1
When Gods gifts are used to build our own self-centered dreams, without the foundation of
mature spiritual discernment and persevering practice, we tend to wander from the plan
and purpose that God has designed. Hebrews 5:1314 states: For every one that useth
milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth
to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to
discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:1314). Joseph possessed a gift to see the future,

but he lacked the spiritual discernment to know how to use this gift for Gods glory and the
benefit of others.
So how does God help wandering dreamers to see clearly? Like Joseph, when we enroll in
the school of testing, our inner directional compass begins to realign. Our clouded vision is
no longer obscured. In Psalm 105 David writes that God sent a man before them, even
Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him (Psalm 105: 17-19) The
Hebrew word translated as tried means to fuse metal or to refine, purify, or purge away
like a goldsmith. As a metaphor it carries the idea to prove or examine someone. 2
Only after years of discipline and suffering could Joseph understand that the bowing down
of his brothers was an opportunity to provide and protect, not to lord over them. God used
abandonment, imprisonment, and betrayal to refine Josephs vision for the future. Once
Joseph realized that his dreams were God-given gifts to be exercised for the benefit of
others, the vision for his future ministry became clear. Through his gift of dreaming, Joseph
would now pave the way for his family and nation to see Gods redeeming love!
Dreams coupled with discernment lead to deliverance. When we use our gifts for the benefit
of others, our dreams will come true in ways we never dreamed possible.
Books to Read
For Parents
The Genius in All of Us by David Shenk
The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
Why Do they Act That Way? by Dr. David Walsh
For Children 611
Basil, Or, Honesty And Industry by Charlotte OBrien
Jack the Conqueror by Mrs. C. E. Bowen
For Children 1013
The Brave Heart by Franz Hoffman
The Lamplighter by Maria S. Cummins
For Teens and Adults
Hand on the Bridle by Kathleen M. Macleod
Ishmael and Self-Raised by E.D.E.N. Southworth
That Printer of Udells by Harold Bell Wright
Falsely Accused by Frederick Vining Fisher

Endnote:
1. The Genius in All of Us by David Shenk. In his book, Shank dismantles the controversy of
natural ability versus extraordinary effort through a myriad of examples and convincing
research.
2. Geseniuss Lexicon; Strongs Exhaustive Concordance H6884; E-Sword H6884
Mark Hamby is the founder and president of Lamplighter Ministries, where he serves
with a dedicated staff to make Lamplighter Publishing, Lamplighter Theatre, Lamplighter
Guild, Lamplighter Life-Transforming Seminars, and Lamplighter Moments Daily Radio
Broadcast a reality. It is his mission to make ready a people prepared
for the Lord by building Christlike character . . . one story at a time. You can read or
listen to the most recent Lamplighter production at www.lamplighter.net.
Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in
the December 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, the family education
magazine. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and
download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.