At the turn of the last century, a young poet was writing his reflections on how the world had not turned out as he and others had hoped it would. In one of his poem, he penned this line: “Dreaming men are haunted men.”¹ In his case, it involved war and the struggle for freedom from oppression. Dreams were shattered for many, and it appeared that worse times were yet to come.

The dreams that haunt many people are most often those with high expectations that turn out to be just illusions. It’s a case of thinking things will get better on their own, all it takes is a little hope and a willingness to wait it out. Thank God, that was not what Jesus thought when He looked at the world around Him and how corrupt and immoral it was. He knew He had a mission, and nothing was going to stop Him from reaching His goal, even if others thought it impossible.

There’s a popular song from the movie, “Man From La Mancha,” called, “To Dream the Impossible Dream,” written by Joe Darion. It is still sung and admired by many today. The last two verses go like this: “And I know if I’ll only be true to this glorious quest, that my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I’m laid to my rest. And the world will be better for this that one man, scorned and covered with scars, still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable star.”

And that’s what happened. Don Quixote did not get to that unreachable star, and he died a haunted man. So don’t go chasing the impossible, let God handle those things. But do all you can do with what you have striven for and realize your dream of having been a meaningful and significant person in your family and other people’s lives as a true and faithful child of the Living God. You don’t have to be better than everyone else, just be your very best, and God will do all the rest.

There is another verse in the song goes: “To fight for the right without question or pause, to be willing to march into Hell for a heavenly cause.” Jesus already did that! And by doing so, He opened a way for you to march into heaven for the same cause. So keep marching. God is not just watching, He’s walking with you. – Dr. Robert R. Seyda

1Stephen Vincent Benet: John Brown’s Body, Doubleday, Doran & Co., New York, 1928, Bk. 1, p. 29