In the last days it
will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your
old men shall dream dreams.
Acts 2:17
When he was 16, Booker T. Washington decided he wanted to go
to school. The year was 1872, and for a boy born a slave, who had no idea who his
white father was, this was an enormous leap of faith. He set his sights on the
Hampton Institute in Hampton ,
Virginia Malden , West Virginia
Eventually he made it to Richmond , about 80 from the school. He worked
there for a few days unloading pig iron from ships and sleeping at night on the
ground under a boardwalk. Finally, he continued his journey and reached Hampton
Institute.
And while his challenge of getting there was over, the task
of getting admitted to the school had just begun. Seeing no reason why he
shouldn’t be allowed to attend, he approached the Head Teacher and asked her to
admit him right away.
Later, in his memoirs, Booker T. Washington recalled the
rest of his story. "Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and
change of clothing, I did not make a very favorable impression upon her, and I
could see at once that there were doubts in her mind about the wisdom of
admitting me as a student."
While Booker waited anxiously for her decision, he watched
as the teacher admitted several others. But, he would not let his dream die.
Then one day he saw a small opportunity. Having run out of delay tactics, she
said to him, "The adjoining recitation-room needs sweeping. Take the broom
and sweep it."
"It occurred to me at once that here was my
chance," he remembers. "Never did I receive an order with more
delight...I swept the recitation-room three times. Then I got a dusting-cloth
and I dusted it four times." He cleaned every corner of the room, even the
walls and closets.
"I had the feeling," he continued, "that in a
large measure my future depended upon the impression I made upon the teacher in
the cleaning of that room. When I was through, I reported to her. She was a
woman who knew just where to look for dirt. She went into the room and
inspected the floor and closets: then she took her handkerchief and rubbed it
on the woodwork about the walls, and over the table and benches. When she was
unable to find one bit of dirt on the floor, or a particle of dust on any of
the furniture, she quietly remarked, `I guess you will do to enter this
institution.'
"I was one of the happiest souls on earth. The sweeping
of that room was my college examination, and never did any youth pass an
examination for entrance into Harvard or Yale that gave him more genuine
satisfaction. I have passed several examinations since then, but I have always
felt that this was the best one I ever passed."
Not only did Booker T. Washington pass that “examination”,
but he stayed on as janitor to pay expenses all through college. In June 1875
he graduated on the honor roll and as one of the commencement speakers.
Booker T. Washington was a man of faith and a dreamer who
backed up both with action. What kind of dreams are coming from your faith?
Remember, the greater your faith in the Lord Jesus, the greater your dreams
will be. He is the maker of dreams and visions. And when you allow yourself to
see through the His eyes, then you will begin to see the incredible life that
awaits you.
It takes faith to dream great dreams. Because faith makes
your dreams come true. And the time to take action is now.
Today’s prayer
Lord Jesus, I want to fulfill every dream you have for
my life. I know that this can’t happen without you guiding me and giving me
strength. Please share the vision you have for me and walk with me as we make
this dream come true. Today, remind me to stand up and take action, knowing
that through you all things are possible. Amen.
