The Blessing of a Good Daydream
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young shall see visions, and your old shall dream dreams.”
There are good habits, and developing a daily reflection time is essential if you are to grow professionally, emotionally, and spiritually. For example, I've always been a dreamer. When I was growing up, a buddy and I would sit around and detail what we planned to do when we grew up. Even after adulthood, I’ve always pondered the next idea, plan, or stage of life. Rather than wasting time, dreaming focuses on my direction, which makes me more productive.
Thomas Oppong, in his article “Contemplative Intelligence: A Daily Reflection Time Can Make You Smarter,” claims, “A daily contemplation habit makes you smarter, happier, and more creative.” Refusing to dream because it isn’t a productive use of your time is like hopping in the car and driving without knowing your destination. Dreaming ends up being a necessary productivity tool. Directed dreaming may sound daunting, but it is as simple as asking yourself a few questions. Oppong suggests, “What’s happening outside me right now? Where do I want to go next? What would make my life better right now?”
Answering a few questions can help spur further dreams. Working toward fulfilling dreams makes your life exciting and meaningful. However, if you stop with Oppong’s recommendations, you remain one step short of making your contemplative intelligence complete. The final stage is inviting the Holy Spirit into your dream process. Asking God to guide your dreams helps confirm your hopes are moving in the right direction. Further, once your dreams are internally validated, the Holy Spirit can begin showing you how to make your dreams a reality.
For some of you, daydreaming is as natural as breathing. For others, it will take the brain time to accept before it can ponder efficiently. Again, the key is inviting prayer into your daydreaming. Do not shove the thoughts away when you catch your mind wandering, but ask the Holy Spirit into your dreams. Prayer can be as simple as recognizing divine presence as you continue thinking. Enjoy your daydreams, give thanks for them, and affirm them as a gift from God.
