Dreams or Nightmares

There is certainly no shortage of things to blog about these days. Between the war on terror, politics, the slumping economy and thousands of other things on people’s minds, the real question is, what, out of all those topics, would actually grab folks attention or interest long enough to cause them to actually read what I have to say?

Just this morning I read a blog post by a pastor, describing a dream he had and asking his readers what they thought it meant. Well I read it, so I’m assuming at least a few others did too.
The dream had very little to do with anything. It was just a loosely connected series of events, seeming to lead nowhere and mean nothing to the man who dreamed it.
That is kind of what life has become for many people in the world today. Things are happening around them at a rapid pace. A few things relate to their lives in some way and seem to hold meaning for them, but many things are just happening way beyond our control or even our understanding.
For those in the middle of the violence in Gaza, Iraq, Africa or Afghanistan of course, events are very real and frightening. To those of us fortunate enough to live in less strife torn areas, it is like a bad dream at the edge of our consciousness.
For those who have seen their retirement savings diminish overnight due to the harsh economic conditions, the worry is very real. For those with no savings and no retirement plan, they just continue to struggle to pay bills and keep a roof over their heads.
We may have feelings of despair, outrage, or fear when we read, hear or view the news reports but then we carry on with our lives, and for the most part these feelings fade much like the memory of the dream we had last night.
I, of course, don’t have the answers. However, I can say this much. All these things will resolve themselves. They’ll either get better or they’ll get worse. They always have and they always will.
The important thing is that we human beings try to be there for one another. A simple thing like a smile or a kind word can make all the difference in someone elses life. If we are lucky enough to be in a position where we can do more, we should. But each and every one of us should do what we can to encourage others through the hard times. Besides, focussing on someone else besides ourselves can’t be a bad thing, can it?