Wednesday, July 15, 2009

What would I say in a speech if I couldn't research it first?

Last night, I had a dream. A large corporation, I don't know which one, invited me to their headquarters in New York to make a speech to their executive team. When I arrived, they took away my laptop (!) and told me my speech was scheduled for tomorrow morning. I could spend the night in their offices if I wanted to.

I had to deliver an important message, but I couldn't gather a lot of information beforehand. If you know me, you know how anxious that would make me. What would I say? What do I know on my own that could possibly matter to other people, let alone the management of a large company?

In the dream, the answer came to me: Have faith. Believe that God, however you imagine him, is benevolent and loving and created you, individually, for a purpose because he believes in you. He doesn't look at you rationally. He sees you through the eyes of a loving father, which means he doesn't let your mere behavior affect how he feels about you or what he thinks of you. You are worthy.

Therefore, invest accordingly. Invest your time, money and reputation courageously, as though there will be a better future, even if you cannot see today how each day of that future will unfold. You know you will end up someplace good, but you don't yet know what scenery you'll see on the way there.

Then one of our dogs woke me to let her out of her crate. I'm pretty confident of the truth of this dream because I remember it much more vividly than I do most dreams. More important, I'm confident of its truth because it's essentially what I've said in every witness talk I've given at a Cursillo or Christ Renews His Parish retreat. I think I just needed to remind myself at a time when I'm struggling to be confident in myself and optimistic about the future.

1 comment:

  1. I have a recurring dream (nightmare) that I am supposed to speak at church and wasn't prepared. I don't know how it turns out. Actually once the organist called me the night before church and wanted to know the hymns so she could practice them, and I had forgotten I was to speak.

    An Arkies Musings

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