Someone’s crushed dream isn’t just an “Oh, well …”

When our dreams come crashing down, to forever remain unfilled, it’s earth-shattering. But when someone else’s dreams come to an end?

“Oh, well, the Lord has something else for you …”

We can so easily be dismissive of the crashes in the lives of others. Once again, this past week, as another ministry announced it’s closing its doors, the thread in response to the announcement was full of trite comments about how the Lord must have something better. The truth is, those people were doing exactly what God wanted, the end came because others who should have been just as faithful weren’t.

It would be wiser — and kinder — for observers to say nothing at all than to proffer trite ramblings about the struggle of others. In fact, a better response would be to consider how you might personally step in and shoulder some of the load so that what looks like an impending crash can be turned into a beautiful “success.” At the very least, instead of being dismissive about the dreams of others, do your best to think and act with empathy, like we see in this story from Today in the Word …

British statesman and financier Cecil Rhodes, whose fortune was used to endow the world-famous Rhodes Scholarships, was a stickler for correct dress — but apparently not at the expense of someone else’s feelings. A young man invited to dine with Rhodes arrived by train and had to go directly to Rhodes’s home in his travel-stained clothes. Once there he was appalled to find the other guests already assembled, wearing full evening dress. After what seemed a long time Rhodes appeared, in a shabby old blue suit. Later the young man learned that his host had been dressed in evening clothes, but put on the old suit when he heard of his young guest’s dilemma.

Don’t let your words pull people down from the dreams God has given them, and the vision He’s called them to.

Scotty