I was watching another WWII documentary on Auschwitz concentration camp and there was an image of a ditch that had been dug for mass executions. They showed the ditch, which was full of dead bodies of Jews that had been shot and the next image that came across the screen I will never forget. It was one of a mom with her two children standing waiting to be shot. One of the children had their head turned looking into the ditch of all the dead bodies. The expression on this little 6 year old face was one of fear and shock as she knew what was about to happen. I had to pause the film due to shock, sadness, and anger...and thought, what was going through this little girls mind? All the hopes and dreams this little girl had would soon end due to the hate of another.
I wonder how many of us have had our hopes and dreams destroyed. We have forgotten those hopes and dreams that once fired us up, and now we have just "settled" with life the way it is. I once asked a good friend of mine to write a skit based on this. The skit was called "Pancake Dreams." The lead character had such hopes and dreams, but as certain events in his life smash his dreams like a pancake, he looses all hope and vision for the future - he just....settles.
I wonder, how many of us have forgotten to sit back and just....dream and regain the hope that was lost in our lives?
I believe every event in life has a purpose, Dan... even something as seemingly horrific as the haulocaust. We learn from it. In a case like mass murder, we may learn compassion, forgiveness, and discernment.
ReplyDeleteI also believe those who were directly involved in such tragedies benefited from the experience. Perhaps they learned empathy for their persecutors. Maybe they realized how to maintain inner peace, despite life-threatening circustances.
To me, whether it be as dramatic as Auschwitz or as mundance as losing a job or a relationship, what's important is that we learn from the situation... that we find the nugget of truth for ourselves. That we feel gratitude for the opportunity for personal growth.
Challenging events can indeed smash our dreams, if we let them. But if we look inward and embrace their value, we'll actually be better prepared to push forward with our dreams.
The fact that you're questing this stuff, Dan, demonstrates that you're not settling. You have the gift of introspection and awareness. You'll find your dreams because you're searching for their path. Some people aren't capable of this much.