King speaker: Don’t Stop Dreaming
WAYNESBURG – Celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. means always dreaming, and to hold onto those dreams, no matter at what point they finally come true, a speaker said Monday at Waynesburg University’s annual convocation in honor of King.
The Rev. L. Bryant Parker, pastor of Witherspoon Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Ind., delivered the main address, titled “Don’t Stop Dreaming,” during the convocation, which is held each year on the holiday commemorating King’s birth. The civil rights leader was slain nearly 40 years ago, on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn.
“I believe that if the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was alive, he would tell us that dreams can become a reality,” Parker said. “I believe he would say to this constituency at Waynesburg University nothing in life begins without a dream, so don’t stop dreaming. The key to getting your life and my life together and on track is don’t stop dreaming.”
Dreams often are full of great ideas and can become powerful motivating forces in life, Parker said.
“Dreams are the energy that drives us and gives us life, meaning and motivation,” Parker said. “If we keep dreaming of the ideas that fuel our lives, we will find peace, joy and meaning in life. We need to keep on dreaming of those positive ideas that compel us – that compel us to hope for future times that are better than what we are going through right now. We need to dream of things that motivate us to get us through the day and to forge ahead in life. We need to dream until we are stimulated with energy, meaning and direction.”
With powerful dreams, people are also meant to discover what God’s purpose in life is for them, he added.
“Dreams raise us above our circumstances, help us to deal with disappointments and to overcome obstacles,” Parker said. “I’m not talking about daydreams or wishful thinking. Daydreams and wishful thinking are momentary and unfocused thoughts. I’m talking about dreams that are powerful enough to move you forward in the future so that you will understand God’s purpose for you in your life.”
People with dreams are upbeat, optimistic, confident and determined, Parker said, relating the belief in the power of dreams to the biblical story of Joseph, who suffered years of hardships before his dreams were finally realized.
“Most dreams are not realized, nor do they come true immediately or overnight,” Parker said. “I believe that dreams are God-given. And with God, we can endure anything, bear everything and go through all things until our dream becomes a reality. And when God gives us a dream, it will be realized, no matter how long it takes, no matter how difficult the road, no matter how impossible it might seem.”
In holding onto dreams, Parker urged the audience to follow three pieces of advice: be careful with whom they share their dreams; hold onto and work on their dreams; and realize that dreams delayed are not dreams denied.
To follow those three tips, Parker said an unshakeable faith in God is necessary.
“We must believe that God will do just what God said God would do,” Parker said. “We must believe that our dreams will be realized; no matter how long we’ve been waiting, don’t stop dreaming. It doesn’t matter when the dream was delayed; don’t stop dreaming. If you think your dream has been denied, still keep on dreaming. When we believe in our dream, God will turn every negative into a positive and allow our circumstance to move toward the dream that God has given unto us.”