Two Dreams :: Act I

This week Ann and I saw the great movie musical Les Misérables. For me, the most moving scene was when Fantine, a destitute young unwed mother, sings the the beautiful "I Dreamed a Dream". Many who have experienced life's devastation can relate to the words that she sang. I thought that I might share a few thoughts on a few of them ...

There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong

Who cannot relate to youthful dreams. When I was young I had visions of being the president of our country. I planned to go to law school. Then reality hit and I found myself drafted and in Basic Training. Yet a dream persisted of doing something great with my life. I married a beautiful girl and within a year my young wife went blind. She was blind for three years. I stopped dreaming. It all went wrong.

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid

At my lowest God came into my life and gave me new dreams. My wife's eyesight miraculously came back. We had children whom I so loved. My faith was alive. For years I loved everything about my life. I loved work and church. The dream was coming true. Nothing seemed impossible. Then my wife had heart and kidney failure. I prayed every day for her. Then four years later she died. And my dreams died again.

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

Stayed tuned for Act II. Tune in next time for my thoughts on the second dream.

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