I do not watch television that often, but when I do, I enjoy the home improvement and home renovation shows or tours of homes showing off their beautiful décor and interior design. I have found one that has become a favorite of mine, called ‘Home Worthy.’ It is a You Tube channel I discovered while perusing and surfing the web one day to find something interesting to watch. It is amazing how you can pay the big bucks every month for hundreds of channels on the television, and still not find anything of interest to watch. On this site, they take you on a tour of their home. These are usually folks who have or have had interior design careers. They will show you what the house looked like when they bought it and then show you what they have currently made of it. They tell of their design aesthetics, and why they chose what they did for each given space in the home. They show and tell of all the beautiful gadgets, gizmos, statues, art work, or china that they have collected over the years, to add interest to their home.
Other selections on television, that I enjoy, along the same lines are, ‘Love it or List it,’ ‘Property Brothers,’ ‘Hometown,’ and ‘Fixer Upper’. On these shows, they are doing just that. They are helping the clients buy old homes and then fixing, repairing, and renovating them for the homeowners. They take something that is practically falling apart and make it beautiful again and just like new. Though they are doing the renovations, the clients are paying for it and want things to be to their specifications and taste. They sit with the clients in several sessions to determine what their tastes, likes and dislikes are, and what might be on their wish lists. The homeowner then does not come to the house again, until the big ‘reveal’ day. Often, they are overwhelmed and cannot believe the transformation that has taken place, and often state that it is as if they are standing in someone else’s house. They might say it looks like something that you would see in a magazine, or it looks like a posh hotel. This is a testimonial to the creativity of the hosts of these shows. They are artistic and can take something that is undesirable and make it into what is like a dream come true for the homeowners. They could be considered visionaries.
There are those who can look at a bare plot of land and see a beautiful home on it, down to how many bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces it will have. How the garden will look with all the trees cleared and possibly a barn for the animals, with a white picket fence to finish it off. These are visionaries, however, not everyone can do this. Others may pass by the same lot, overgrown with trees that have had a for sale sign on it for a decade, and only see woods and nothing more. The visionary sees something that could be, the potential and the possibilities. The visionary sees the solution, whereas others see the problems and the impossibilities.
The Bible says in Joel 2:27-28, “And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” In Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost he quotes the Old Testament verse in Acts 2:16-17, “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”
The dictionary definition of vision is, “the act or power of seeing, known as sight, the special sense by which the qualities of an object (such as color, luminosity, shape, and size) constituting its appearance are perceived through a process in which light rays entering the eye are transformed by the retina into electrical signals that are transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve; something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy; a thought, concept, or object formed by the imagination; a manifestation to the senses of something immaterial; the act or power of imagination; mode of seeing or conceiving; an unusual discernment or foresight.” Young men shall see visions. They can see past the problems because of their youth, strength, vitality, intelligence, ability, and ambition. The young have not yet experienced the world and want to accomplish important things to leave their mark and make a difference. They also believe they can achieve just about anything, because they have seen others do it and are confident that they can too. Possibly their inexperience assists them in this scenario, you have heard the expression, ignorance is bliss. At this point in their life, they are just ignorant enough to believe they can beat the odds. They have no money but believe they can get the funds for the project that they have envisioned. They have excitement and enthusiasm on their side, to where they can incorporate others into their plans. They can already see that beautiful home built in their mind’s eye. They stay positive and push out any negatives that come their way and are constantly presenting solutions. After all, they are young, if anything were to go wrong, they would just get out there themselves, hustle, put elbow grease time in, and get the job done. They have what it takes. Though this is scriptural, this can be applied to any walk in life, project, business, or passion that someone might have.
In contrast to this, the bible says that the old men will dream dreams. The dictionary definition of dream is, “a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep; a state of mind marked by abstraction or release from reality; an object seen in a dreamlike state; something notable for its beauty, excellence, or enjoyable quality; a strongly desired goal or purpose; something that fully satisfies a wish.” Just because the old men will dream dreams, does not mean they should be relegated to the back burner somewhere. The older men no longer have the physical strength they once had, nor time on their side, to be able to cast another vision and see it through to fruition. Also keep in mind, the only reason they do become dreamers is because they were once young visionaries. These are not dreams in the definition of them hoping to accomplish more or see something come about, like the ‘Make a Wish’ foundation, no, they are reminiscing about all they have done in their lives to this point as visionaries. They have memories of when they got the job done, rallied others to see their vision, and how beautiful that proverbial house turned out to be. They made things happen and they are the ones who have paved the way for the up and coming young men. As their life ebbs away, this magnificent chest full of memories is what allows them to look back on their lives with fondness and pride and dream sweet dreams.
They also love sharing these memories with the next generation, who will first be visionaries, and then will eventually become dreamers like themselves, as the cycle of life continues. They are encouragers, because they allow young people to see that hard work pays off and that tenacity and passion will bridge the gap that comes when things look like they are falling apart. They tell them about their successes and the failures they were built upon. This is a biblical concept as well, as Solomon stated, “…there is nothing new under the sun,” Joel 1:2-3 says, “Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.” Though not talked about as much, the virtuous woman had a wise husband as we see mentioned in Proverbs 31:23, “Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.” He is paying attention and taking notes while listening to the old dreamers reminiscing at the gates.
True to life, there will always be those in our midst who are just ‘Debbie Downers.’ Young people, we must not let the grumbling, complaining and doubt of others keep us from seeing our vision through from start to finish. Will we be successful in every endeavor, a hundred times no, but we must dust ourselves off and try again. One failed project does not a failure make. Lift your heads up so you can look forward to the next vision God has for you to accomplish. A notable difference between the young and old here is that they bounce back faster, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. This is one huge reason children, and visions, are given to the young. Not everyone is creative or a visionary, so take joy in this privilege that God has bestowed upon you. Continue to see the potential in that beautiful spread of land, through the massive expanse of trees.
Elders, we must not forget the days when we were young and others said to us, “It can’t be done.” Do not be that person who crushes the spirit and visions of the young. Let them speak, let them go, let them do. Take a chance on them as someone once took a chance on you. Pray for them and be their wingman and spotter. Be realistic. Do not try to be eighteen when you are forty, or forty when you are seventy. God is not through with you, but He has promoted you to a different position in life. Take each stage of life as it comes your way, with grace, and enjoy your time of dreaming dreams. This is what will truly bring you joy.
For the young and old alike, note what Psalm 126:5-6 tells us, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”