Dreams or Fantasy

Pastor Jim had an interesting sermon based on the Shunammite's woman in 2 Kings chapter 4..., he's saying God has told him to tell us that by around this time next year, God is going to do something miraculous in some of our lives just like He did it for that woman! Wow!

What's interesting about this woman is that she didn't ask, seek, or knock on heaven's door with her requests... however, God nevertheless gave her something special, which is a son. Surely this must've been one of her dreams, but as years went by, it began to look more and more like a fantasy as her husband grow older and older...

Surely we all had to give up our dreams sometimes. I know I have to be realistic and know that I'm just not going to be a world champion F-1 racer! However, for sure I've had my share of fantasies too. I remember when I first heard of my elementry school mate planning to immigrate to the US, I wished I could go to the land of Mickey Mouse too! I don't think I was envious of my school mate or anything like that, it's just a fantasy feeling I had at the time, I thought it'd be really cool, but I know the chance of it happening is very slim because supposedly you have to wait in line for years..., but here I am in the land of Mickey Mouse! ;) Anyway, there were lots of occasions where I my fantasies actually became true, while my dreams were shattered...

So what are fantasies and what are dreams? I suppose it's really hard to distinguish between them. But I suppose if your fantasies are good and doesn't get in the way of God's plan, there's really no reason why God would deny you just to piss you off, right? ;) So we ought to just dream big! If one doesn't come true, dream up something else!

Also, this Shunammite woman still willingly made room for God(Literally made a room for Elisha, holy man of God), so naturally God want to do something for her in return. I think when we dream, it's important to not just dream about self... because life isn't just about self, but about God and others! (That's why God wants us to love Him and to love others!)

What's weird about that bible story was that why would God let the boy die later on...? Perhaps God just want her to practice asking? To have her ask Elisha to give her son back? Perhaps this is a test to see if the woman really wanted that son and now just go... oh well, he died... that's that. Back to my old life... I think the moral of the story is that sometimes it is okay to get bitter about something. Of course we shouldn't spew our bitterness against other people..., but we can certainly spew it onto God! Moses struck the rock because of him spewing his bitterness against the people... and he got punished for it. Moses had plenty of time spewed his bitterness toward God and God was okay with that...

Anyway, Pastor Jim's sermon was sort of incomplete, I think Bebe just sang for too long! ;) Really looking forward to how Pastor Jim will explain this further.

Now, what would be my fantasy/dream that I'd like to have it realized around this time next year?

I just want to have a stronger/better relationship with wife and for my parents to be saved!

What is hope and what is false hope? Sometimes it's just not so easy to tell the difference, but we need to remain sanguine about our future nevertheless because as long as we act justly, love mercy and humbly follow the Lord our God, surely everything will be alright in the end.

(2 Sam 16-18, 174.2 lbs, $3.899)