An Encouraging Word – Why not?

Father J. Ronald Knott
Father J. Ronald Knott

Here comes that master dreamer! Genesis 37:19

Robert F. Kennedy once said: “There are those that look at things the way they are and ask why? I dream of things that never were and ask why not?”

I consider myself a dreamer. From childhood, I have always tried to imagine an alternative world, a better world, than the world I lived in. As a child, it might involve hollowing out an area within a stand of dense tall weeds or maybe attempting to build a cabin or fort in the woods.

As I grew into adulthood, I renovated old houses — six of them in fact — often turning them from a building that “needed to be torn down,” into a comfortable home.

As a priest, I was often told not to get my hopes up about a certain assignment because “nothing can be done there.” I have never left a parish without leaving it cleaned up, polished up and restored to some of its original glory and then some.

Dreaming leads to hard work and so dreamers must be tenacious, driven personalities, with a faith that cannot be shaken. Contrary to wishers, dreamers are not airheads with short attention spans, lounging in old people’s rockers. Wishers hope it will happen. Dreamers make it happen.

Here is a little thing I wrote for the people of the Cathedral of the Assumption parish both to warn them and inspire them. For a few years, I would ask them on a regular basis, “Who said you only get one golden age? We don’t have to settle for the golden age of 1890 — 1910! Why not a new golden age from 1983-2000 and beyond?

I even wrote a little piece that I had printed up and passed around because it is not keeping a dream alive over time. It said: “Translating a dream into reality takes great courage. Doubt is a constant enemy. When doubt reigns, there is a strong temptation to let go of part of the dream as a way of resolving inevitable tensions. Success depends on the ability to remain focused and purposeful to the end.”

When I reached 70, almost everything pointed to the fact that retired people should give up dreaming and windmill chasing. Who said I cannot have at least one more “golden age” in my golden years? A dreamer never accepts a shut-down of his dreaming nor starts pumping the brakes.

I am happy to announce that my newest dream, a program for retired priests, bishops and lay professional who want to do ministry in the Caribbean missions, called the Catholic Second Wind Guild, continues to pick up speed and attract attention. Trip seven is coming up and more people are helping and getting involved.

American musician Adam Green said: “To all the other dreamers out there, don’t ever stop or let the world’s negativity disenchant you or your spirit. If you surround yourself with love and the right people, anything is possible.”

To read more from Father Knott, visit his blog: FatherKnott.com.

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