Anticipating the Vision

The marvelous vision of the peaceable Kingdom, in which all violence has been overcome and all men, women, and children live in loving unity with nature, calls for its realisation in our day-to-day lives.
Instead of being an escapist dream, it challenges us to anticipate what it promises.

Every time we forgive our neighbor,
every time we make a child smile,
every time we show compassion to a suffering person,
every time we arrange a bouquet of flowers,
offer care to tame or wild animals,
prevent pollution,
create beauty in our homes and gardens,
and work for peace and justice among peoples and nations
we are making the vision come true.

We must remind one another constantly of the vision.
Whenever it comes alive in us we will find new energy to live it out, right where we are.
Instead of making us escape real life,
this beautiful vision gets us involved.

-- Henri Nouwen

Elder's Meditation -- How Big Can Our Dreams Be?

We are created by God to be vision people.
First we set the goal and then we see.
If we create within ourselves a picture or vision and we hold that picture or vision in our mind, whatever we picture will show up in our reality.
If we can see ourselves being educated, then schools and teachers will show up in our lives.
If we picture in our mind a positive, spiritual person to be in our lives, we will attract this type of person in our relationships.
How big can our dreams be?

Great Spirit, let my visions today be Your vision.

Put within me a vision of the being you would have me be.

Then help me to keep the vision in my mind.