#nevertoolate

I am Jacob C. Howard and I am #Hashtagfairytales. I am back my friends, and I will be addressing that whole suspension later on. For now there are bigger fish to fry. I have encountered a few stories this week that have stayed with me. These stories are—as Mike “The Miz” Mizanin would say—Awesome! You’ll remember we have talked about dreams before (#dreamon). I have shared with the #hashheads before that it is my dream to be a play-by-play commentator or ring announcer for the WWE; in other words: a ridiculous dream. I have been developing this dream over at least the last decade and a half, and have had this specific dream since early in my college career…you know, the college career that ended in 2009. So it’s been a little too long right? If my dream were a dairy product it would be far past the expiration date. I should give up on it right? Two huge things fighting against my dream: ridiculous dream, and too much elapsed time.

Enter two men who have a lot more in common that one might think. Moses and Donald Miller. Yup, Moses, as in the old dude who led Israel out of Egypt, and Donald Miller as in the author of best-selling book #BlueLikeJazz. No, Moses didn’t go to Reed College and Donald Miller was never portrayed by Charlton Heston, but they are yet quite similar. They both dreamed ridiculously. First Moses; what if we were to have a conversation about his proposed task? “Ok Moe, so you are going to take the Pharaohs slaves—his free laborers—all 3,000,000 of them and run away to the desert?” How ridiculous is that? No king would give up 3 million free workers. Then there’s Don Miller, he wanted to take his best-selling memoir #BlueLikeJazz and make a movie adaptation. How would THAT conversation go? “Alright Donny, you want a movie to be made about a period of your life? Bro, you’re a Christian, Christian movies are cheesy…Oh, you want your movie to depict true Christianity with all of its struggles? Good luck with that!” Brutal.

Both of those dreams are ridiculous. Freeing millions of slaves in one fell swoop? Pharaohs don’t support that. Making an original Christian movie based on the messy reality of following Christ? The Christian movie establishment wont fund that. Ridiculous! Guess what? I am right. Let’s start with Don this time, there was no money. The people who invest in “Christian movies” didn’t want to invest in that one. Why? It was too much like real life, and we can’t have art imitating life! Sorry Don #toolittletoolate! As for Moses, let me just say this: 80 freakin’ years old #waytoolate! No 80 year old should be going for their dreams right? Pharaoh is gonna give him a heart attack; the heat of Egypt or walking in the desert is gonna cause him to tire quicker, keel over, and pass out. No possible way.

Don Miller and Moses had dreams that were too big to succeed. Too lofty, too ridiculous, and too late…but I would never say that to their faces; I won’t be the one to tell Donnie and Broses. If I did, no doubt they would look at me and say, “Yo breh, it’s #nevertoolate!” (Fun Fact: In Ancient Hebrew that sentence rhymes [#noitdoesnt]). Let me be the first to tell you, the bell will toll on your dream. Midnight always strikes.

But what if Moses gave up? What if Moses decided he was too old to pursue that crazy calling? What if he took on the attitude of Roger Murtaugh and said “I’m getting too old for this sh…”? I’m not a theologian (as evidenced by that #LethalWeapon reference), but my guess is that it would have offset Jewish history as we know it! But he wasn’t too old. Moises didn’t let age get in his way, he stayed the course. 80 years young and he still did what he needed to do. Don’t be fooled, children and grandchildren can’t stand in your way; gray hair wont stop you. Moses accomplished his calling. The captives were set free, and I will tell you that you can do the same.

What if Don Miller and his crew decided that they had too huge of a mountain to climb? #BlueLikeJazz the movie would never be made. But that’s not how the story ends. The people funded the movie…I funded the movie. A Kickstarter Campaign was launched and in three weeks time the movie was funded. The movie that almost wasn’t suddenly was. The dream had come true; dawn had come. The movie that the “Christian movie establishment” has shunned is getting positive reviews pre-release. Money isn’t the issue for your dream, dont let it stand in your way. The story is not over. Just as you think the sun is setting on your dream remember that morning will come again.

Accomplishing your dream is like a cage match (Is that a #WWE reference? Likely). The prize is the dream itself, and you step in the ring with doubt. the two of you enter, but only one can leave. Is your dream ridiculous? Is time running scarce? If so, you’re in good company! Thank you Moses for showing me that it’s #nevertoolate. And thank you Don for showing the world that insurmountable odds are often just unbelievable opportunities!

(Blue Like Jazz the Movie will be available in theaters nationwide on April 13. Go out and see the movie that almost wasn’t!)