Bruce Wilkinson - The Dream Giver for Parents

The Dream Giver parable is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the authors imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

THE DREAM GIVER FOR PARENTS
published by Multnomah Publishers, Inc.
Based on The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson
and David and Heather Kopp

2004 by Exponential, Inc.

Published in South Africa by Lux Verbi.BM

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from:
The Holy Bible, New King James Version 1984 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Other Scripture quotations are from:
The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) 1973, 1984 by International Bible
Society, used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House

Multnomah is a trademark of Multnomah Publishers, Inc.,
and is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The colophon is a trademark of Multnomah Publishers, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission.

For information:
MULTNOMAH PUBLISHERS, INC. P. O. BOX 1720 SISTERS, OR 97759

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Wilkinson, Bruce.
The dream giver for parents / Bruce Wilkinson and Darlene Marie Wilkinson; with Andres Cilliers.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-307-56377-4
1. ParentsReligious life. 2. ParentingReligious aspectsChristianity I. Wilkinson, Darlene. II. Cilliers, Andres. III. Wilkinson,
Bruce Dream giver. IV. Title.
BV4529.W556 2004
248.845dc22

2004015518

v3.1

D o you believe that every child is born with a Dream for his or her life? And that you were born with one, too? No matter where we travel or who we talk to, we have yet to find one person who doesnt have a Dream. He may not be able to describe it. He may have buried it deep in some corner of his heart. He may no longer believe in it.

But its there.

All of us have a sense of wanting to do something meaningful with our lives. We call this universal and powerful longing a Big Dream. And, like the genetic code that describes ones unique passions and abilities, your childs Big Dream has been woven into his or her being from before birththerefore it never is quite like someone elses Dream. In fact, your childs unique makeup points toward his or her Dream. And as a parent it is your privilege to help your child discover and shape his or her Dream.

, Seven Secrets for Raising a Dreamer, where we share with you seven secrets for guiding your children to discover and pursue their Dreams.

Dreamers soon learn that every Dream Journey is clogged with Dream-threatening obstacles. That is why it is so important for Big Dreamers to have great perseverance. The more you expose your children to information and experiences relating to their interests and talents, the better equipped they will be for their Journey, and the less likely they will be to abandon their Dreams. And the more you rely on the Dream Giver for guidance and inspiration, the better they will understand that God is shaping their Dreams to fit in with His Big Dream for the world.

So wed like to ask you: Have you noticed the beginnings of a Big Dream in your child, but maybe it has gotten lost along the way? Or is he or she experiencing one setback after another? Or do you feel as if God has completely forgotten to give your child a Big Dream? Perhaps your own Dream didnt work out, and you want to spare your child that heartache by not mentioning Big Dreams at all.

May this book help you become a Dreamer againenjoying your childs Dreams as well as your own. May it convince you that the Dreams God placed in your childs heart (and in your own heart) fit in with His purpose for you. And may it inspire you and your child to actively pursue your Dreams.

The world is waitingand so is the Dream Giver!

Warmly,

Bruce and Darlene Marie Wilkinson

Johannesburg, South Africa

God created you for a higher purpose.

This is the most important journey of your life,

pursuing your God-given purpose.

B RUCE W ILKINSON

T HE D REAM G IVER

I n the Land of Familiar, not far from here, lived Mom and Dad and their only son, Ordinary. He had become notorious in Familiar for daring to leave in search of what he called his Big Dream.

We always knew there was something wrong with him, people would say when Ordinarys parents were out of earshot. But to their faces they said, It must be interesting to have such a special child!

Mom was having a hard time because of her son. On the day she first held little Ordinary in her arms, she said: Ordie, my sweetie, Mommy promises to always keep you safe. Now she didnt even know where he was. The last time she had seen him, he was rowing in a small boat across the Wide Waters bordering the extreme ends of Familiar. Since then, she hadnt heard from him. He had said that he was on his way to some unknown Land of Promise. However, Mom had no peace of mind. What if this road led straight to the WasteLandthat desolate region about which one heard only the most horrid tales?

To him it might be a Dream, she would complain to Dad, but to me it is one endless nightmare. And its all your fault. Dreaming runs on your side of the family. She wasnt entirely mistaken. In his youth, Dad had had a Dream, too, but he had buried it so deeply that he could hardly remember what it was. He didnt have the courage to leave Familiar and embark on the dangerous quest for his Dream.

The moment Ordie mentioned this Dream thing, you became excited, Mom had upbraided Dad when Ordinary announced he was leaving. You could have talked him out of it. But no-o-o, you had to start dreaming along with him. At your age, its just ridiculous!

If a parent cant dream along with his child, Dad had answered, how will that child ever come to believe in his Dreams? I wish my dad had been enthusiastic about my Dreams.

Mom had snorted and set out after Ordinary to stop him. However, when she returned alone with the news that Ordinary was determined to pursue his Dream, she had changed her tune. This Dream thing still is a bit of a mystery to me, she said. But I do know now that my son had to get into that little boat and cross the Wide Waters. He just has to pursue his Dream.

Since then, Mom had been torn by conflicting emotions. She believed her Ordie had done the right thing, but she was haunted by the fact that her son was out there in the Unknown. When others in Familiar implied that Ordinary had lost his mind, she jumped to his defense. But in quiet moments, she regretted that Ordinary had ever become involved in Dreams.