ARE YOU A DREAMER?

The fable of Perette and her milkpail is one of the oldest fables in the world.  You will even find it in The Arabian Nights. 

Perette was a girl who worked on a farm, and one day the farmer’s wife gave her a whole pail of milk for herself.  So Perette put the pail of milk on her head, for that is where they carried things in those days, and she set off to the market to sell it; and as Perette went she was dreaming her dreams.

Her dreams went something like this:

“I’ll sell this pail of milk, and with the money I get for it I’ll buy some eggs, and I’ll soon have some chicks, and I’ll keep them and I’ll fatten them, and when they are grown into hens, I’ll sell them.  And with the money I get for the hens, I’ll buy a little pig, and I’ll keep him and I’ll fatten him and I’ll sell him.”

And then she began to smile with anticipation. “And with the money I get for the pig, I’ll buy a real silk dress; and I’ll put on my dress, and I’ll go to the dance, and Robin will be there, and when he sees me all dressed in silk, he’ll ask me to marry, but I’ll show him how particular I am; I’ll toss my head and-“

And there and then, in her dream, she tossed her head, as she would do at Robin, and when she tossed her head, off fell the pail, and the milk all spilled, and all Perette’s dreams were gone.  Her castle in the air had come tumbling down. 

[copied from William Barclay’s DAILY CELEBRATION Volume 2, pp.249-250]

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Oh Hal! Why would you share such a disappointing story with us?

Are you saying that it’s wrong to dream?

Of course not!  Dreaming is a valuable means of picturing our future.  Dreams motivate us and help us to establish goals for our lives.  God has even used dreams to foretell the future in the Bible! 

Yet, to be described as a ‘dreamer’ is not typically thought of as a compliment.  Rather, it implies that a person has their head in the clouds and lives in a fantasy rather than reality.  Apparently their goals and aspirations are unrealistic. 

I’ve always been perplexed by the scripture from Joel 2:28 that is repeated by Peter on the day of Pentecost [Acts 2:17]:

‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, And your young men will see visions, And your old men will have dreams;  [NASB]

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This passage captivated me as a young man, and now it sort of frustrates me.  I guess I’d rather see visions than dream dreams!  Yet, I readily confess that I’ve attained a season of life when I do more reflecting than envisioning. 

During a recent season when I was called back into the service of day-to-day ministry, I observed several times: “I have the passion for ministry, but not the energy.” 

I’ve not fully examined this realization, but I do recognize that it was deeply affected by Travis’ death in 2015.  Our lives were indelibly changed by this loss!  Debbie retired within two months; I retired a year-and-a-half later. 

In actuality I don’t remember many of my night dreams.  When I do, they are often ridiculous or occasionally involve someone from much earlier in my life! 

I also don’t daydream much.  To be honest, I did a lot more daydreaming when I was younger! 

I do know that I laughed a little too hard at a Facebook post this morning by my friend, Barbra Beatty:

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Perette’s dream was not evil.  It was the dream of a young girl!  It was a bit self-focused and simplistic, but it was innocent enough; the natural fantasies of a poor girl with grand visions.

If she made a mistake, we all know that it was in getting too caught up in her dream and forgetting what she was doing in the present.  In playing out her imagination, she tossed her head and the milk was gone! 

I suppose there’s a time for dreaming, but it’s definitely not while carrying a bucket of milk on one’s head!