FOLLOWING YOUR DREAMS IN 2026

LANGSTON HUGHES, FEB. 1, 1901 -MAY 22, 1967

The Epiphany of the Lord

"And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way" (Mt. 2:12).

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams 

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams...

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

Earlier this year, while contemplating the Gospel of Matthew, I highlighted Langston Hughes' powerful poem, "What happens to a Dream Deferred?" In that contemplation, I explored Langston's poem, emphasizing key issues and urging us never to postpone our dreams.

Today, I return to reflect on a poem that may not be as popular: "What happens to a Dream defferered?" However, it's short and impactful.

Langston urged his readers twice to Hold fast to Dreams! In the initial stanza, we are encouraged to cling tightly to our dreams. Why is this important, you might wonder? We should hold on to our dreams because God is the Dream Maker. In the book of Acts, Peter had a dream that surprised him, yet it guided him to the house of Cornelius, where he fulfilled his evangelistic duty. (Acts 10:9-15).

Langston conveys in this narrative that if your dreams perish, life becomes fractured; you won't be able to soar, or even worse, you won't bear fruit in the field because you are living the three "DDDs" disconnected, distracted, and detached from God.

This weekend, on Epiphany Sunday, concentrate on the Magi. The scripture mentions, "having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way" (Mt. 2:12). What's fascinating about this narrative is that the Magi did not resist the angels' advice to choose a different route home. Emphasize this verse. The Magi did not experience the "three DDDs" that can cause spiritual amnesia; they remembered their dream. At times, dreams come to us, and we either forget them, thinking we know better. And yet, some dreams will take us on an alternative path.

In 2026, are you open to taking a different path? Is God providing you with new opportunities in your ministry? Trust in God, who renews everything, including your relationships with your spouse, children, co-workers, and Church members. God desires to offer us a new way to serve His people in 2026. I could have never made it in 2025 without God, the Dreamer. I am stronger and wiser. Happy New Year.

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