By Pastor Michael Fernandez
Shortly after graduating from the University of Washington (dream 1) & beginning to work, I married my first wife, dream 2 came true. Life was good, so I thought. A couple of years later my wife left me. All these thoughts began to come into my mind. Michael, you are not loved, Michael you are alone, you are not worthy, you are not special, your failures define you.
Life Becomes Pointless without Dreams & Visions
Proverb 29:18, “18a Where there is no vision, the people perish. NKJV
Life had become pointless, and I ran away from it. I landed a new position at work where I traveled 3 ½ weeks a month for the next couple of years. By keeping so busy, I felt no pain. I wasn’t living life. I was just existing. Life had become pointless but I did not know it. Then in March of 1985, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It was the first time I saw myself through the eyes of Jesus Christ and not in what the world said I was. Don’t let the world define you. I made a list of what I was doing when I was happiest in my life and what I was doing now. The only difference was when I was happiest, I was attending church.
Shortly after a friend invited me to a little start up church called ECCC (Now Washington Cathedral), meeting at Lake Washington High School. So, I began attending. The young Pastor there had big dreams and that attracted me. Next, I was encouraged to remember a dream God had placed on my heart years ago. It came from Dick Sanders the Singles Pastor from Cathedral of Joy. I had been attending the church for a couple of years when I went on my first Singles Retreat. There were six of us from Emerald City Community Church and we went to the Cathedral of Joy’s Singles Summer Retreat on the coast. We were waiting to have breakfast on the final day when Pastor Sanders stood up and says, “this morning we are going to have a Pastor from Emerald City Community Church say a prayer and bless the food.” Shocked I heard him saying “Pastor Michael Fernandez would you lead us in prayer?” “I’m not a pastor,” I said to myself. I had never prayed in front of strangers before. I stood up and prayed and Pastor Dick Sanders was speaking a prophetic word it would seem.
Have you ever noticed a small, nagging feeling that something was missing from your life? That is how I felt at the time.
I flash-back to 1968 when Father Manning had first asked me as a young person to think about going to Seminary and become a priest. I felt God calling me into ministry then. After all, I was the Altar Boy of the Year for all the Seattle area. But I squashed that big dream. Fast forward, I had been hurting for over a year since my first wife left me. I was down, feeling unworthy, feeling like I had no integrity etc. I had no vision or dreams, and I was a just wandering around. Desperately searching for meaning in my life I was truly dying inside. Even my small dreams were gone of being married, having children and a house I could call home. Then thanks to Pastor Sanders a little spark began to re- ignite a Dream God had placed in me while I was in 8th grade in 1968. It had been 17 years since God called me into ministry and I refused Him out of pride and that invisible wall of fear. I was in good company after all, Joseph spent years honing his leadership skills in prison before he rose to rule EGYPT. David spent years hiding in the desert caves leading 400 men who were distressed, in debt, or discontented before he was fully prepared to become King.
Ask yourself.
1. How much do you want your Dream to come true?
2. Do you believe in the Dream Giver enough to trust His Purpose and accept His plan of preparation even when you don’t understand or agree with it?
God first called me to ministry in 1968. It was re-kindled 17 years later. Then it took another 9 years of preparation for a total of 26 years. Now it’s been 28 years and I have been fulfilling that dream. Remember to listen to God. Life becomes pointless without Dreams & Visions. Two years later I married Teresa and pledged to Austin and Justin to love them and be their dad. Two years after that our daughter came into this world. All those things I dreamed about as a child have come to pass. Now I am beginning to Dream once more, looking for what plans God has for me now!
Join us on Sunday at 10:30am either In-Person in our Sanctuary or On-line (Church Apps, You Tube or Facebook Live) to hear more and discover what dreams God has for you to fulfill.
Blessings
Pastor Michael