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Barcelona Olympics, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing
In 1992 the greatest basketball team in the history of the world was assembled. It was the Barcelona Olympics, and for the first time, NBA players were allowed to represent team U.S.A. It was epic.
The team consisted of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippin, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Chris Mullin, and just to be fair to all the other countries, they included some guy from Duke named Christian Laettner.
The games weren’t even close enough to be called a joke, they were a complete slaughter. The closest game was a 32 point win over Croatia in the Gold Medal game 117-85.
It was like the Payson, Utah Jr jazz team versus the Harlem Globetrotters. It was fun to watch. They were representing the USA in the game we invented. They were rightly dubbed, the “Dream Team”.
The Dream Team was the epitome of greatness, everyone wanted to be just like them, even the teams they were playing against! They got to live out the most dominant display of basketball skill ever. They were untouchable, beyond reproach, unbeatable, you couldn’t stop them, only hope to contain them. They were a real life dream come true.
They were one kind of “Dream Team” But, we could also put together another team that could share the same name, but in a slightly different context. This other “dream team” could be comprised of all the Prophets or even regular people in scriptures who have had famous “dreams”.
Just to name a few….
Lehi, Nephi, Alma, Omer, Abimlech, Laban the Syrian, Pharaoh, Solomon, Nebuchadnezzar, Jacob, Daniel, Joseph Father of Jesus, and even Pilot’s wife.
Dreams are just one way that the Lord can use to speak to us. He has always used dreams to communicate. Sometimes its to reveal a doctrinal discourse like the Tree of Life, and sometimes its just to warn, or to encourage. And sometimes its just a fun way our brain takes away all the limitations of a mortal mind, and lets loose on the infinite potential of our imagination!
How many times have we had dreams that may be a little more than just us showing up to school in just our underwear? or having all of our teeth fall out? How many times have we been shown something, or seen something, or felt something that may be a bit more meaningful? Is it possible?
The Lord is the same today, yesterday and forever. He did it before, why not now?
In Joel 2:28 it says……
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
I have had a few times where I have had dreams that were a bit more than the ordinary kind. I have had some that were actually quite meaningful to me. Not exactly like the dreams of Lehi or Nephi, but personal ones that have made a difference in my life. I knew, for example, that my youngest son, would be a boy before we had an ultrasound. I think the Lord gives us little snippets, or hints, just to remind us that He is close, and is aware of us.
Next time we have a special dream, where we see someone who may have passed, or an event we may have been worrying about, or something especially encouraging, maybe we should write it down, and work on the assumption that maybe, just maybe, it was sent to us on purpose, and that it may be our Heavenly Father sending a little note to us, to remind us He is there, and that He is listening.
Dream Dreams
When all the noise of day is gone and silence fills our ears,
Our mortal eyes at last we close, and daylight disappears.
And as we dream the dreams that mortal consciousness abates,
Our minds become the canvas where a masterpiece awaits!
We win! We sing! We save the world, with superhuman powers!
No limits to what’s possible! These precious dreaming hours!
We soar through space with ease of thought,
Just wishing- and it’s done!
We fly! defying gravity! Never tiring as we run.
But, sometimes we can see ahead, or we can sense or feel
A moment, person, or event that is, in truth, quite real.
But, when our sleepy eyes again perceive the light of day,
And wakefulness returns, our mortal limits are replaced.
But, even then, some special dreams endure our consciousness.
For they were placed there by design, to act as messages.
Of love, or of encouragement, to comfort or to teach.
Instructions given when the mortal mind is tough to reach!
In wakeful times the constant noise brings deafness to our ears,
But, dreams can be a wink from Heav’n
Reminding us it’s near.
