A Dream Lost to a Future.
Since the age of seven, young Harry dreamed of only one thing – he was going to grow up to be a concert pianist. To that end he practiced faithfully every day and took piano lessons twice a week from a respected instructor. He delighted his family with his skill and impressed those around him with the quickness of his mind and depth of ability.
At the age of fifteen, he accompanied his mentor to the recital of a world-renowned pianist. After the concert, Harry met with the master and even played for him. It was agreed that Harry had remarkable talent and the master assured him that one day he would play to great audiences in grand halls all over the world.
Still, as so often happens in life, fate took a decisive turn. Within a year his future seemed uncertain. The family fortune was lost – there was no money for piano instruction, much less, any time to practice. At sixteen, Harry worked to support his family, and his boyhood dream faded away.
Four decades passed and Harry the sixteen year old boy was now a man. Yet the same dedication that allowed Harry to succeed at the piano helped him succeed in life. Harry S. Truman never played great music for audiences around the world, but he did become the 33rd President of the United States and he led the nation with dedication and great leadership.
More than simply an enjoyable story, here is a story of gospel challenge. The challenge of Good News is often one of facing our changing dreams with courage. I enjoyed studying and about Truman while an undergrad in seminary. He was a fascinating human being. He was a man who often exercised that kind of courage. He failed in his first business of operating a clothing store. He lost his first bid for re-election to public office in an embarrassing fashion. He was a disaster in his personal finances – Harry often had to change his dreams. Still he understood that when one dream dies, another often takes shape. His courage consisted in believing in the future and trusting that God was not done with him.
All of us have dreams; dreams of being a concert pianist or a professional basketball player or being a pastor; dreams about raising perfect children who always make us proud; dreams of having tremendous parents who always say the right thing at the right time; dreams of traveling and working in an exciting career; dreams of this and dreams of that – all of us have dreams! And then often some person, some event, something comes along and suddenly life takes a decisive turn. We discover that we’re not good enough, or we lose our job, or we realize that our parents aren’t perfect, or perhaps our health fails. These are the moments when our dream dies and often our future appears bleak because of it.