Transformation Series: The Desire to Transcend

As far back as I can remember, I have aspired to do something that, at the time, I was unable to do. Before I knew you needed a license to drive I wanted to win races like 'Speed Racer'. When I got my first radio, I began to imagine singing before crowds of people. While in college I began to believe that I was supposed to be part of something great for God and I am still reaching for whatever he has is store. I don't know if you are one of those dreamers like me who sees something out there that seems beyond you, but you find that the only acceptable action for you is to reach it anyway. I wonder what brings us to dream beyond ourselves like this. Some may think that this is just youthful naivety, but I think it is something written into our DNA. I take that back. It is not just in our DNA. It is in something deeper. I believe it is written on our very souls.

I wonder if the caterpillar deals with this. Think about it for moment. If you could get into the mind of a caterpillar, what do you think would drive it to seek flight? I wonder if a caterpillar is born among its other caterpillar brothers and sisters and begins to go about its life finding leaves for food, crawling up trees and flowers, and trying to keep from being eaten by the early worm. It is an existence that probably seems like a good one, from his perspective. It seems manageable and not too bad of a life as long as you've got food on a branch near you.Okay there is the potential of some bird of prey, like the terrible pigeon, that could end your life in one swoop but that does keeps things interesting. What is it that takes the caterpillar beyond its ground level life and causes it to gaze to the heavens and picture being up there? I wonder if this dream doesn't begin to develop until it sees/imagines the possibility for it. Imagine what it might be like for the caterpillar to see a butterfly for the first time. Does its heart pound? Does it stop it munching away at the leaf and drop its jaw? I don't know. I don't know if they are oblivious to their metamorphic destiny or whether they were taught as little larvae that one day they would soar the skies above them. Either way I believe if they ever got to see a butterfly fluttering by then something would be stirred in their heart.

When I get to see dreams lived out, it inspires the dormant dreamer in me. I remember seeing Star Wars and desiring to be a noble hero like a Jedi. But more than the lives lived out on the silver screen, real life people have inspired me to dream. My father inspired me to be a leader, as I watched him lead men under him in rank. My youth minister inspired me to join God in transforming lives, by joining God in my life's transformation. I am inspired to hold on to the God, because I have seen my mother stubbornly (in a good way) hold on to God when despair was pound on her hearts door. There is something about the dreamers reaching for the stars that helps me to believe that the stars can be touched. These dream pioneers don't even need to successful they just need to keep reaching.

There where a band of ordinary men who became dreamers because they believed in the one who makes the deepest dreams of our hearts come true. Those followers of Jesus believed in him. Now listen to how Jesus sets them up to dream beyond themselves.

John 14:11-13

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.

"...Greater things than these..." Wow! Talk about transcending yourself. Jesus did amazing things and so did his followers. They healed the sick, cast out demons and raised the dead and because they continued to be fishers of men and followed a dream that transcended them, they changed the world. Those men are butterflies to this caterpillar.

To all butterflies fly high and to all the caterpillars look up.