When I was a young man I had my dream house all scoped out—three wings, indoor-outdoor pool, bowling alley, and, since I had an interest in astronomy, an observatory on one end. I held on to that dream right up until the time I had my first apartment in college. It was then that the practicalities of earning an independent living recast how I imagined my future domicile. Making it to the end of the month as a student with food in the refrigerator was the dream du jour. Thirty years later that dream home’s a distant memory—as are some of the other unattained aspirations I held. It’s far easier to resign to fear and a sense of inadequacy than to pursue a vision unrelentingly day after day. And I don’t think I’m alone. As Kierkegaard pointed out, most of us are living fearfully below our potential. That observation inspires me today to try to reignite a spark among those I encounter with a reminder of the dream they can still yet become.

Your thoughts? Who might you inspire with a reminder of the great things that God might still want to do through them?