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Wed 11/8
Story
Dad's 54 Dreams
Based on a story by Laura Carney
Laura was surprised when her brother gave her a list he’d found that their late father had made of 60 things he’d wanted to do in his lifetime. She had never before seen the list, which was written in 1978, the year she was born.Â
Laura’s husband encouraged Laura to, on her father’s behalf, complete the list, on which just six items were checked off, and she agreed. She was amazed at how many items she was able to complete the first year, including skydiving, running 10 miles straight, and speaking to a U.S. President (Jimmy Carter, in Laura’s case).Â
One item on the list proved to be more challenging than the others: growing a watermelon. Laura wasn’t much of a gardener, but she was determined to try. She planted the seeds in a bucket on her fire escape and watered them carefully.Â
While waiting for the watermelons to grow, Laura was laid off from her magazine job. She decided to take the risk of becoming a full-time writer and resolved to write a book about endeavoring to fulfill her father’s goals.Â
One day, Laura noticed that one of the watermelon seeds had sprouted; the others soon followed. Over the next few weeks, the sprouts flowered and fruited. On the anniversary of her father’s death, Laura spotted her first watermelon.Â
She named the melon Audrey II, after the plant in the movie Little Shop of Horrors. As Audrey II grew, so did Laura’s book, though by September, Audrey II was still just the size of a golf ball.Â
Laura harvested Audrey on the night she and her husband left for London, the next item on her list. She never thought she would be able to be present and patient enough to grow a watermelon, much less write a book. But it turned out that she could do both.Â
By the start of the new year, Laura had checked off every item on her father’s list and signed a publishing contract for her book. She had also gained a fuller understanding of, and appreciation for, her father, who had once struck her as somewhat aimless, without direction. She realized that he had lived freely, not bound by material status—that he had dared to have dreams and commit them to paper. She was convinced that the list was a God-given chance to discover more about her father and herself—item by item.
Story
Story Title
Author Name, Organization Name
Luke 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
KJV
Reflect
What will you do the next time you face a seemingly impossible task?
Be present and take each part of the task step by step.
Remind myself I am capable of more than I’ve ever realized.
Have patience as I slowly make progress toward my goal.
May God’s love encourage and guide your steps today. We’ll see you again soon!
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