Juni and I sat in an exam room, waiting for a doctor to come and give us the treatment options for the weeks ahead. Juni and her three siblings are staying with us for a few days, and a “hill rolling adventure” gone awry had resulted in a broken humerus bone for our 5-year-old granddaughter. This may cut us off the list for future grand-sitting opportunities!
As we waited for the doctor to enter, Juni wandered around the room with particular interest in the laptop computer that had been used to check her in. This provided the impetus for me to ask a question… “Juni, do you think you would like to be a doctor someday?”
This seemed like a very logical question for a grandpa to ask… and to my surprise, Juni responded immediately, as though she had been preparing her response in advance of the question…
“No”, she said emphatically, “I am going to be a queen!”
Then she looked at me with a sincerely inquisitive gaze and said, “Do queens get to drive their own car?”
A queen.
A dream.
Unlimited possibilities. Unconstrained imagination. Unquestioned love and support.
Yes. 100% yes.
And yet, because of my experience just two weeks before at a YFC Camp with 275 middle schoolers, my mind raced to contrasting images. To different narratives. To stark realities.
For many of the young people that Youth For Christ works with, the dream of being a queen has long been vanquished. Long since devastated.
Safety. Warmth. Support and love.
A dream for some, and the dial tone for Juni. The operating system from which her dreams emerge. She has the privilege of being cared for and nurtured into a place where flourishing is possible.
Juni can dream of being a queen. And yes, at present, it’s her career path… even with a broken humerus bone.
Yes, it’s not hard for Juni to believe that she is God’s masterpiece… designed by God for a unique purpose (see Ephesians 2:10).
This is why Jesus implores, commends, and yes, commands us to take care of those who dream only of food, and water, and clothing, and companionship, and health, and yes, freedom. We become a voice of hope and love and forgiveness and promise. We, the followers of Jesus, can once again till and water the soil where only broken promises survived. We must steward wisely, generously, and yes, even sacrificially, what God has gifted to us. This is our duty. This is our calling.
I love that Juni dreams what she dreams. A queen indeed…
But I pray that the contrast this amplifies will serve to galvanize my resolve to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)
A dream… A queen… A masterpiece.
We are commissioned to proclaim this good news to everyone.
To those with a broken humerus, and to those with broken dreams.
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