The dream giver

Like Richard Bach's 1970 classic, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, this little guide by the bestselling author of the Prayer of Jabez franchise is a story about pursuing one's dreams. But it aims to be a "practical and innovative guide to achieving your Big Dream" as well. The first part of Wilkinson's slender book is the fable of person searching for what's missing in his life. A "Nobody named Ordinary [who] lived in the Land of Familiar," he decides, finally, to pursue his higher calling; he encounters-and overcomes-many obstacles along the way. In the second part of the book, Wilkinson plays the role of a Dream Coach, counseling readers on how to achieve their own Big Dreams though facing their fears, enduring hardships, surrendering to God and realizing their full potential. Looking back to moments in the tale of Ordinary, Wilkinson reemphasizes and reiterates the lessons learned by his everyman, employing personal anecdotes, scripture and impassioned prose. The book speaks plainly of achieving lofty goals and overcoming conflict, and the message of the parable may touch the hearts of readers who need a spiritual push. But it may also strike some as overly simplistic, since the tone veers towards childish at times ("We've all seen how Bullies work. Remember, they react primarily because you have disturbed their Comfort Zone. They feel threatened. They feel losing something important-their security or routine, their assumptions about success. Maybe they feel that they're losing you"). That said, those who need warm, enthusiastic encouragement should find it here. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

C h a p t e r O n e Ordinary Embraces His Big Dream     Not long ago and not far away, a Nobody named Ordinary lived in the Land of Familiar.   Every day was pretty much the same for Ordinary. In the mornings he got up and went to his Usual Job. After work, he ate almost the same dinner he'd eaten the evening before. Then he sat in his recliner and watched the box that mesmerized most Nobodies on most nights.   Sometimes, Best Friend came over to join Ordinary in front of the box. Sometimes, Ordinary went to his Parents' and they watched together. For the most part, not much happened in Familiar that hadn't happened before. Ordinary thought he was content. He found the routines reliable. He blended in with the crowd. And mostly, he wanted only what he had.   Until the day Ordinary noticed a small, nagging feeling that something big was missing from his life. Or maybe the feeling was that he was missing from something big. He wasn't sure.   The little feeling grew. And even though Nobodies in Familiar didn't generally expect the unexpected, Ordinary began to wish for it.   *   Time passed. Then one morning Ordinary woke up with these words echoing in his mind: What you're missing, you already have…   Could it be? Ordinary looked and looked. And then he discovered that in a small corner of his heart lay a Big Dream. The Big Dream told him that he, a Nobody, was made to be a Somebody and destined to achieve Great Things.   Jumping out of bed, Ordinary discovered something else--a long white feather resting on the sill of his window. Where did it come from? What did it mean? With a jolt of excitement, Ordinary decided he'd been visited by the Dream Giver.   Now, Ordinary had heard rumors of various Nobodies in Familiar waking up to a Big Dream. But he had never imagined that it could happen to him.   He rushed to get dressed, his Big Dream beating brightly in his chest. He couldn't wait to get to his Usual Job and tell Best Friend the news.   But on his way to work, Ordinary realized he had a problem. His Big Dream was too big for a Nobody like Ordinary. He would be embarrassed to tell anyone. Even Best Friend would probably laugh. Still, Ordinary was too excited to keep his dream to himself. As soon as he saw Best Friend, he blurted out the news: "The Dream Giver gave me a Big Dream! I was made to be a Somebody and destined to achieve Great Things!"   Best Friend looked surprised, but he didn't laugh. "That's very…big," he said. "But if I were you, I wouldn't talk about this Dream of yours too much. Nobodies around here might take you for a fool."   Ordinary didn't want to look like a fool. So after that he kept his Big Dream to himself.   *   Day after day, Ordinary showed up at his Usual Job. But while he worked, he thought about his Dream. He thought about how wonderful it would be to do what he loved to do instead of just dreaming about it.   Ordinary's longing for his Big Dream grew and grew, until finally he realized that he'd never be happy unless he could pursue it. Why didn't the Dream Giver make it possible?   If the Dream Giver didn't, how could Ordinary ever leave Familiar? He had payments and expenses. He had regular duties. A lot of Nobodies counted on him for a lot of things.   Ordinary felt completely stuck. Time passed, but nothing changed.   He began to hate his Usual Job. This isn't what I was made to do, he'd say to himself. I just know it!   After a while, he began to worry that maybe he hadn't received a Big Dream after all. Maybe he'd just made it all up.   And he grew sadder by the day.   *   One evening after work, Ordinary went to his Parents' to watch the box. But their box was broken, so th Excerpted from The Dream Giver: Following Your God-Given Destiny by Bruce Wilkinson All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.