Have you entertained your own “field of dreams?” Have you ever helped someone with theirs? Is there a “Randy” in your life? How could you encourage someone today?
Field of Dreams
by
Rebecca Barlow Jordan
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. – Proverbs 13:12
There was nothing special about Randy. Each year his teachers repeated the same words: “You don’t want Randy in your class. He’s a loser.”
But that was before he entered Miss Jewel’s sixth grade art class. Until then, only bright red “D’s” and “F’s” adorned Randy’s school papers. Test scores plummeted him to the bottom 10 per cent of his class.
Miss Jewel saw the sparkle in Randy’s eyes when he watched her demonstrations. His huge, rough fingers took to a paintbrush like an athlete to sports. Charcoals, sculpting, watercolor, oils–whatever the project, Randy excelled beyond any student Miss Jewel had ever seen.
She challenged him to take private lessons and suggested the names of several artists she knew. Randy made excuses for not pursuing the lessons, but Miss Jewel suspected it was because of his family’s poverty.
The teacher decided to make Randy her special project. Year after year she saved her money. On Randy’s graduation from high school, she sent him an anonymous check to cover his college tuition–and the name of an artist who agreed to teach Randy in the summers between his college studies.
One day about ten years later, she received a package in the mail–a beautiful oil painting of herself. And these words: “I will never forget you. I have dedicated my life to helping others grow their dreams like you did for me. Thank you, Randy.”
God may give each of us a “Randy” to nurture–perhaps a child, a friend, a student, or coworker. Our words, our time, even our belief in their ability could help produce a crop of doctors, musicians, presidents, or simply loving moms or dads who will rise in their own “field of dreams.”
¹Rebecca Barlow Jordan, “Field of Dreams,” Copyright 2002 Cook Communications Ministries, In the Garden with God by Honor Books. Used with permission. May not be further reproduced. All rights reserved.
What about you? How can you help encourage someone’s dream? Who has helped you? Was there a teacher who made a difference in your life? A friend?
