Dreams are the Blueprints of Freedom

“I’m sorry I won’t be able to make it to church Sunday.”

The priest, surprised, glanced at his nephew. “You won’t?”

The young man shook his head. “No. I have construction to do here at home.”

His uncle looked around the room in confusion. “What kind of construction?”

The man’s smile grew and his eyes sparkled. “My daughter started feeding the deer that live behind our farm. She says our neighbor’s dogs run wild and kill the deer, and she wants me to build a fence between our properties to protect them.”

The priest chuckled at his grandniece, always the philanthropist. “Did you tell her deer need to roam free?”

The man nodded, “But they will be free, just in a safer home. Sometimes you have to leave home to be free.”

The old man smiled wisely. “While you’re at it, you can build me a church for my people to be free.”

“You’ve nothing more than a dream, right now. Construction requires plans, blueprints.”

“I have no experience creating blueprints.” The elder sighed and looked up at the sky, hopeless.

“I have a book I want to lend you. Brand new, I bet you’ve never even heard of it.” The priest looked, but did not reply, so the younger man continued without request. “It’s called Nadja.” The young man scurried over to a table to pick up a book. With a laugh he handed the text to his uncle “I hope your French isn’t too rusty.”

The priest fingered the pages of the book, flipping through, and stopped to observe a strange picture. “What is this?”

“The woman in this book draws what she dreams. Perhaps she can inspire you to draw your dreams. I’ll need to see them for myself if I’m to help you.”

The priest and his nephew sat in content silence.

Sometimes you have to leave home to be free.