Water in the Wilderness, Roses in the Desert

December 12, 2004

The Rev. Dr. Anthony J. Godlefski, Pastor

Montgomery United Methodist Church

Isaiah 35: 1-10

Luke 1: 26-45

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, good morning. This morning I’d like to talk with you about the topic – perhaps an alternate sermon title – “How to Find Joy, Even in the Tough Times.”

This time of year, this Advent season, prompts me to share a story with you about how things were when I was a little boy. It would be about the third Sunday in Advent when my father and I would put up the Christmas tree in the living room. We’d gotten the tree some nights before at a lot that was filled with Christmas trees illuminated by bare light bulbs. There were a lot more places like that back then; artificial Christmas trees had not yet been invented, and most folks had real trees.

And on that afternoon after church, my father and I would go out to the driveway and pull the tree out from its resting place. We’d take out a saw and cut off about an inch of the trunk so that the tree could drink water. Then somehow we’d squeeze it through the front door, get it into the living room, and put it in the tree stand. Somebody would need to be on the floor, adjusting the little screw-things that held it in place, and someone would be moving the tree back and forth, and somebody else would say, “Nope, a little more to the right. A little more to the left” – that was usually Mom’s job – until we got it just right.

It could be my imagination, but it seems to me that winters were a lot colder back then. My dad did not like winter very much. You see, he was a farmer at heart, and he loved to see things grow. My mom was more the poet, and she could find beautiful things about the winter, spring, summer, and fall. Dad loved spring and summer, didn’t have much use for winter. I remember how he’d come in from the cold some days and say, in his own accented way, “This kind of day is good for nothing except sit in the house by the stove” – a thought that appeals to me more and more the older I get.

Dad didn’t like winter much. I can still see him in the outfit he wore everyday, except Sunday, of course – blue jeans, work shoes, blue shirt, and when he went out, an old khaki-green jacket that he’d zip up tight. But there was something in winter that made Dad happy. I remember sitting in the kitchen after dinner, and Mom would be doing the dishes, I’d be getting ready to do my homework, and Dad would be at the kitchen table. He would carefully open the drawer and take out a pair of big, black-rimmed reading glasses that made his eyes look very large indeed, and he would sit there and gently take out the catalog that came in the mail. He’d lovingly open it and read its pages. During the cold days of winter, when nights come early, when the sun sets around 4:30, when the ice was on the road, polished by the wheels of passing cars and glistening in the streetlights, in the mail would come the seed catalog.

The seed catalog – Dad lovingly poured through its pages. Pictures of roses, pictures of tomatoes and cucumbers and corn, pictures of shiny red apples and beautiful peaches. He’d read, and he’d take a pencil and circle the ones he wanted to buy, and he’d get ready for the time when the roses would bloom again. As my dad did that, he was doing something very important, my friend. He was planting the seeds of dreams. He was planting seeds that, sure enough, in summer would blossom into flowers and lots of bushels of tomatoes and cucumbers. But it all started with the seeds of dreams.

Are you going through a winter of the soul, my friend? Perhaps some of you folks here are. Perhaps some of the folks who will read this on the internet are. Perhaps it’s been mighty cold in your heart. And this Sunday, as the Mallett family so beautifully lit our Advent wreath with the pink Joy candle, you might be saying, “Pastor, there’s anything but joy in my heart.” I’d like to suggest to you today that the Bible has something very important to tell us about planting seeds of dreams, and how that can become our joy.

From the book of Isaiah, we hear words like these: The prophet said, “Even the wilderness will rejoice in those days. The desert will blossom with flowers. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy. The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mt. Carmel’s pastures and the Plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display His glory, the splendor of our God. With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those who are afraid, ‘Be strong, and do not fear.’”

How do you feel about those words? Part of us wants to say, “He’s dreaming. The world isn’t like that. The world is a tough place. We have hard times. Look at the newspaper. How could it ever get better?” But you know what? You’re right. He is dreaming! He’s dreaming God’s dreams. He’s planting the seeds of what could be. The one who builds no castles in the air builds no castles anywhere. If you’re having a hard time finding joy this season, join the prophet Isaiah, and let God plant the seeds of dreams in your heart. And you’ll find that joy starts to dawn upon you.

How do we do it? May I suggest three ways? Prayer, potential, and purpose. Start out with prayer, my friend. Friend, I urgently invite you to consider prayer your personal oasis. I invite you to consider your prayer time the time of uplift, the time when you can get in touch with your best spiritual friend who is Jesus Christ. And as you do, dreams will start to come to you, possibilities, thoughts about how things could be better. It’s an amazing process. How do you know if they’re God’s dreams? If they’re positive and loving and good for the world and people, they’re very well of God. Start out in prayer, and let God plant the seeds of dreams in your heart. Think of all the things in the world that were only dreams once upon a time. The very room we sit in was once the dream of the people of the congregation at the time. Let God plant seeds in your heart.

And as you do, let Him plant seeds to remind you of your potential. Friend, you are carrying treasures in your heart. God has wonderful plans for you. Are we realizing our potential? Are we really rising up to all the things we could be in God’s name? A wonderful person said to me the other day, “I’d love to play the piano. I’d love to learn how. Do you think I’m too old?” No, you are not! Go for it! Learn. Enjoy. Plant the seeds and nurture the seeds of dreams that God has for you.

Some years ago a couple came to me and said, “Pastor, we’d like to be married.” I said, “I’d be delighted and honored to perform your wedding.” We were sitting and talking together, and I asked if there were any particular hopes and dreams that they had in their hearts. They said, “Actually, we do, Pastor. As you know, we’ve been involved with the theatre over the years in various capacities, and as a couple we’d like to start a theatre.” I thought, “That’s nice.” Big dream – dream big. I said, “Let me know when you do.” They said, “Oh, we will.” I thought, “Oh, six, seven years from now I’ll hear from them. Perhaps they’ll start a theatre.” Two weeks! Two weeks later I got an invitation to the Off-Broad Street Theatre in Hopewell. They were opening up a dessert theatre. I was amazed! Dream come true – they nurtured the dream that God put in their hearts. And it’s going strong today. How long ago was that? Twenty years. God bless them. What’s your potential? What’s the dream God has for you? See it through. There’s never a time as good as now.

Also, let God plant the seeds of purpose within you. Friend, if you feel less than joyful, find a need and meet it. Find a hurt and heal it. It doesn’t have to be huge. It can be small. But if you are inclined to help a child grow, if you are inclined to help somebody in the supermarket, if you are inclined to say a kind word, if you have a knack for making people smile, let it blossom. God has a purpose for you.

I’m privileged to be part of a singing group called the Starlite Chorale. This is a wonderful group of people. We have the best accompanist anywhere in Dr. Bell. We go sing for folks who can’t get out to hear live music. We were singing the other night in a retirement home for Sisters. They sang up a storm with us. And after the concert, one came by and shook my hand from her wheelchair. She said, “I am 84 years old, and your group made us feel young again.” Isn’t that a great blessing? Another one came by and said solemnly, “I want you to know that God is very pleased with what you’re doing.” Thank you! I had it on good authority! God can plant seeds of purpose in your heart, and that can lift you up, my friend.

In closing, a great man by the name of Robert Kennedy once said, “Some people see the world as it is and say ‘why.’ I see the world as it could be and say ‘why not.’” Let’s be like him. He must have been a spiritual brother to Isaiah.

Dear friend, nurture the seeds of dreams that God will put in your heart, and you will find joy this Christmastime and always, because God loves you. I do, too. Have a blessed week. Amen.