I suppose all of you have seen the great movie, Field of Dreams. You know, the one with Kevin Costner that is about baseball.
I saw it again a few days ago. There was one detail that I had not seen before which might not have been an intended projection of meaning, but was there and very meaningful to me.
It has to do with the famous lines about Iowa. Twice in the movie the ghost asks Costner, "Is this heaven?" His reply is, "No, it's Iowa." That alone makes a cool statement for an old farmer like me. But then there came the part when Costner asks his father (a ghost) if there is a heaven. His dad replies, "Yes, it is the place where dreams come true." Then comes the really big thing to me. The camera moves first to show Costner's look and then it moves to what he looks at: his home with his wife and child sitting on the porch.
Yes, home is the place where my dreams have come true. It is my heaven. Actually, the heaven beyond this life will only be an extension of what has been built here. President McKay used to teach that truth often, but I was too young to understand its full meaning. In fact, since my own home had some contradictory problems, his teaching may have just gone over my head.
The home that Chris and I have built has not been perfect, but it has been a great improvement over what we grew up in. That has come by a conscious effort to apply gospel teachings more fully and more exactly. Those who have been to the temple carry a reminder of doing that with them at all times: something about exactness and honor.
Even the weak efforts of Chris and I have given tremendous benefits. We see them, we feel them, you now must pass them on and augment them in your own homes. By the time we all get to the heaven beyond this life, our family associations, our home, will be what for now might be termed an incomprehensibly joyful circumstance. Then, it will be the result of dreaming big dreams and having them come true. It will be the normal remembrance of the heavenly home we came form primordially, and the continuation of the consequences of the efforts we have given to making our dreams for our own families come true.
Dad Clark
5 comments:
Thanks for sharing dad. I needed a softer thought today.
Well put, young man. I love Field of Dreams and never really noticed his reaction to the "Heaven is..." response from his ghostly dad. I think living in that house in the middle of a corn field would indeed be heaven... -Jess
Pretty sure we did live in a house surrounded by corn fields Jess. If my memory serves me well, it was certainly NOT my heaven. Too many mice! :)
It is funny you should mention that quote. This morning, while teaching Body Pump, I was doing a song called "Paradise". As the music was playing, I asked the class, "Is this Paradise?" Getting no response but dirty looks as they were sweating away, I answered my own question, "No! This is Iowa!" I then proceeded to asked them which movie that quote was from. Nobody knew. I was a little put off that nobody got that one. It is the only Kevin Costner movie worth watching.
On a more serious note, I agree with Dad. Now that my children are entering the terrible teens, I have been forced to re-evaluate my efforts as a parent. I have realized that the family habits formed in early childhood make all the difference. If you are not having FHE or family scripture study, start now. It will never get easier. On the other hand, it is never too late to start - that is the beauty of repentance.
By the way, the Field of Dreams was filmed about 1.5 hours north of my house in Dyersville.
I needed a good thought today too, so thanks for sharing Dad.
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