Today’s guest post on dreams is brought to you by Chase, a writer living in Jackson, Tennessee. Enjoy!
I am known for my dreams, that wild theater of illusion that plays every night in my sleep, but I’d rather people know about another dream I have.
I have spent too great a portion of my days being confused about what I wanted out of life. I have convinced myself, and others, on more than a few occasions that I figured it out. There were reasons that these answers made enough sense to convince me. They rang true–enough.
I took steps toward those alleged dreams and yet as I grasped them they felt hollow to the touch. They were not what I thought they were. They were not for me.
There has been one dream that has never left me. It has been a part of my identity since I really started thinking about life goals.
I want to make a lot of money and give it away.
Giving is my love language. The first manifestation of this dream was of being a real-life Santa Claus. True story. I wanted to grow my beard and helm a big rig full of stuff (appliances, stereos, food) people need, then drive all over America going from neighborhood to neighborhood like it was Christmas.
I’ve since moved on from the desire of drawing a parallel analogy. Now, I am more concerned that I help the people who need it most. I have not yet figured out how to acquire wealth. I am, by American standards, just on the stable side of poor but whenever I can, I give.
I like to use money to build relationships, to network with other people who share the same kind of dreams, and to invest in hope. I want to lavish people with God’s love in this most tangible way.
Christians give money as much bad press as they do sex. I think most of us, my generation at least, have come to think of money as a dirty thing, a necessary evil.
We’ve gotten this idea that it’s wrong to want it or to think about how to get it. It’s bad to want your “money’s worth”. I’ve come to feel this way too, to feel bad for trying to make a reasonable profit, for example.
The weird thing, though, is that these notions about money have corrupted me more than money itself ever has. They’ve held me back.
Money, like anything else, is only evil if it is used for evil. Let’s be fiercely determined to use money for good. John Wesley said it first: “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”
This is my dream.
What’s your take on money and dreams? How do the two correlate for you?
Chase,
Something I was taught by my parents growing up was to give, whether it be money or time. I have always thought about what I would do with millions of dollars. To be honest I can’t see myself buying a huge house or lots of stuff. For many Americans the “American Dream” has crumbled over the last few years. This has forced us to look more closely at the way we view money. I try to live by the Checkbook Motto: What would Jesus say if he saw your checkbook? Let me see your checkbook and I will tell you what kind of Christian you are.
I relate to you in many ways. I too see money as evil, but that’s because I was taught that wealth was evil. However, using money for other’s benefit is not. You’ve given me an entirely new world to see, thank you.
Like the game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”
there ought to be another show called:
“What Kind of Person Would You Be If You Were a Millionaire?”
The contestants win a hefty sum of money after a series of multiple choice questions, but this show doesn’t really end there. The host invites you back for an interview a year after you’ve won the cash. Then we will see what kind of winner you really are.
You are so right. But you have to have something before you can give it away. I have set up a blog to do just that. It’s my way of sorting my own life out, whilst helping others at the same time. It’s the best I can do right now. Hopefully, in years to come, I can be someone who will return the favour and change someone’s life. £1 might be all it takes, or maybe £1000. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we try.