Friday Five: Hopes, Visions and Dreams

From Sally at Rev Gals...
My house has been full of young people all week, young people who have just left school, young people with an eye on the future. Their laughter energy, and hope are infectious, so with that in mind- this Friday 5 is about hopes, visions and dreams...

1. Think back to the time you left High School, what were your hopes visions and dreams for your life/for the world?
For my life? I really don't remember, except that I was delighted to get out of high school and head to college. High school was not my favorite time of life. Funny, I was just thinking about that this morning before I saw the Friday Five: our niece is particularly unhappy in high school at the moment, and I remember so well some of that heartache and confusion.

2. Have those hopes visions and dreams changed a lot, or are some of them still alive and kicking? (share one if you can)
Well, I did in fact go to college, and it was every bit as great as I hoped it would be. One of my 'dreams,' if you could call it that, in high school, was to make a lot of money and come to my 10th reunion happy, wealthy, and totally unlike my high school self - and rub it in to all those people who made high school less than fun. But I got over that a long time ago, thankfully, and I'm quite embarrassed that I ever had such a desire. I'm glad that one changed.

3. Hebrews 11:1 " Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. " Comforting, challenging or frustrating?
Oh, all three. The comfort is knowing, trusting, that there is more than we can see, both personally and in the life of the world. The challenging bit is waiting patiently for it, or working diligently for it, depending on the circumstance. And boy, is it frustrating when you spend so much time waiting for something that seems to have absolutely no discernible reason for delay. (Can you hear the question in-between these lines? "Why I am not pregnant yet???")

4. If resources were unlimited, and you had free reign to pursue a vision what would it be?
Here's the thing about that question: I don't really find it very helpful. (No offense, Sally.) In one way, God promises that resources are unlimited; we just have to find a way to distribute them more equitably. But on the other hand, keeping a huge vision on hold just because you don't have enough resources may be a reality - and simultaneously betrays the whole nature of dreams and visions. So I'd rather think about what visions I have for the life and resources I have right now.

5. Finally with summer upon us- and not to make this too heavy- share your dream holiday....where, when and who with...
Okay, now I'm going to completely contradict my whole earlier statement about thinking beyond your resources! Coming out of a long and grey winter, I'd pick someplace completely tropical - a secluded island, the kind with that perfect white sand and sky blue ocean that you see in magazines. I'll take my husband, and maybe a few other friends. And we will lay around, read books, eat great food, drink good wine, and sleep in.