Her angelic voice wowed the judges, the audience, and the world…

“I dreamed a dream in time gone by… when hope was high and life worth living…” Overnight sensation and contestant on Britain’s Got Talent TV show, Susan Boyle belted out the famous song from “Le Miserables,” and a star was born!

The most compelling draw of Susan’s performance was not her obvious talent alone… rather her brilliant song choice. Not only did it showcase her amazing voice, but that tune gave the world a glimpse of Susan’s life… a 47 year-old woman, living a lone with her cat in a small village, never married, never been kissed, cared for her sickly mother until her death… And still…

 Amid the hard knocks of life, Susan Boyle dreamed a dream… And she had opportunity to “kick back” at a cruel world with her talent and undaunted spirit. She became the voice of every human being that has ever dreamed a dream… Every person that felt as the last words of the song end… “… life has killed the dream I dreamed.”

The world cheers the underdog and loves when their dreams catapult them to greatness. Jewish history is full of dreamers who became winners in God’s kingdom: Joseph in the pit and prison… Moses wandering through the desert… David the shepherd boy who became king…

Modern Jewish history rings with the same kind of high adventure… Ben Gurion, Golda Meier, Ben Yehuda… The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob breathed the Holy Spirit into those dreams, and the state of Israel sprang to life.

This month Jewish people around the world will celebrate Shavuot or Pentecost. It is traditional to read the book of Ruth and remember the special Gentile widow from Moab that left her country, culture, and family to join the Jewish nation.

Compelled to go because she had a Jewish heart, Ruth had been born in Zion; although she lived in Moab. God honored her sacrifice and allowed her to become a descendant of King David and the King of Kings—Yeshua!

Ruth’s dreams to0k her to new heights and vistas…

According to CBS News, Susan Boyle “dreamed a dream, and it didn’t come true.”  Susan placed second to “Diversity” on the reality television show, “Britain’s Got Talent.” The CBS Morning show opinion spot today also sounded like Susan is completely washed up, because she did not win.

Although Susan won the hearts of millions around the globe as an overnight singing sensation, she ran into some difficulties along the journey. Some said she became angry with journalists and swore a like a sailor, others reported that she threatened to quit, and still others believed she was not mentally or emotionally equipped to win… although her angelic voice and talent are indisputable.

But I believe Susan’s Boyle’s dream is just becoming real even though she placed second in the British contest. She will have a future beyond the talent show. She is set to start recording an album of show tunes next week, and next month she will fly to Prague for recording sessions with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Read the interesting story here.

Susan’s story has several important lessons.

1) It is unjust and cruel to judge a person according to outward appearance alone. Because she was frumpy and middle-aged, the audience and judges mocked Susan until she began singing.

2) When your dreams begin to come true, it is important to develop them with a gracious and humble attitude. Susan lost votes because of her lack of humility and good character when media attention descended upon her life.

3) Dreams matter to God. He alone answers prayer and makes our hopes come true. In the face of defeat and setback, we should continue to pursue our dreams.

At times, I have had certain dreams and felt like Susan Boyle that “life killed the dream I dreamed.” But I have found that it is exactly in those moments of defeat that God creates a dream that becomes even more beautiful and fulfilling in life.

The last chapter on Susan Boyle has not been written… and it may exceed her hope to win a talent contest. I don’t know about you, but I still rooting for Susan and eager to hear about her next steps… I don’t think she really cares about a lot of fame and fortune. She is a simple woman with simple tastes. She just wants to sing and pay her rent.

So here’s to your dreams… even in the face of setback and defeat…

“Now unto him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).