Great leaders are known for their vision. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his “I Have a Dream” speech shared his vision for a time when there would be equality, respect, justice, and love between the races. Native American chiefs go on vision quests to seek direction for their people. In Revelation, St. John shares a powerful and hopeful vision of a “new heaven and a new earth” while in prison on the island of Patmos. Visions are important for they can guide our individual lives as well. They are not just for leaders. I remember my parents telling me as a child, “You can do great things with your life.” That vision has inspired me to try new things and risk failure in pursuit of my dreams. They added a Bible verse to ground my hope in God’s activity in my life: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Parents have a wonderful opportunity to paint a picture of possibility by encouraging their children to dream big and to support them in their pursuit of that dream. This little proverb has big implications for its hearers because it says that having a vision is a life-and-death issue. One of my professors said it this way, “Unless you have an idea of where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.” We all know that our visions and dreams are often not achieved or realized, but without them,
