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"The difference between a dreamer and a visionary is that a dreamer has his eyes closed, and a visionary has his eyes open."
(Martin Luther King, Jr.)
When I was a young woman, I spent countless days day-dreaming about things I planned to do in my life. However, I don't remember ever doing much of anything to really make those dreams happen. Mistakenly, I believed that if I just dreamed long enough and hard enough, something magical would happen and my dreams would just come true. Perhaps I had read too many fairy-tales growing up. And then one day, in the summer of 1979, I gave my heart and my life to Jesus Christ, and my understanding changed. For the first time, I realized that I was born to be a visionary, and not a dreamer.
"A visionary knows the direction they are moving towards, and they live out their life with specific purpose in mind."
(Susan Klaudt)
"This one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 3: 13-14)
In this newsletter, I hope to encourage you to live the life you were purposed to live, especially if you are a visionary. I'm going to share two important visions God gave me years ago. One was a vision for evangelism, and the other was the vision for horse ministry. Those two visions have since come to pass, and continue to shape my life daily. Now, at 62 years old, I am still a woman of vision, and have come to peace with that gift which has often kept my head in the future. It's a gift that isn't for everyone, nor did God intend it to be. If you suspect that you're a visionary, I hope this newsletter and my experiences will give you a few helpful signposts to help you navigate the road that lies ahead of you!
SIGNPOST # 1 - Just Because You Are A Visionary Doesn't Mean Everyone Else Is. Don't Try To Make Others What God Never Intended Them To Be. Walk Out Your Own Destiny. If By Chance Someone Chooses To Walk Along Side You, Be Grateful.
How can you tell the difference between a visionary and a dreamer? A visionary actively pursues their vision. A dreamer just talks about it.
I'm often asked,
"Is everyone a visionary?" The answer is absolutely not. Truth is, most people who think they are visionaries, are in fact, not visionaries at all. They are simply dreamers. And that's ok. We're not all created the same, nor have we all been given the ability to see beyond today. Others are neither visionaries or dreamers.
For example, my husband, Kim, is far from being a visionary or a dreamer. After 33 years of marriage, he still resides comfortably in the "now", and seldom talks about tomorrow.
That's not a bad thing. In fact, it's a good thing in many ways.
My husband knows exactly who he is, understands his spiritual gifts, and never purports to be someone different than who God made him to be. Has the fact that he's not a visionary ever bothered me? At times, yes, especially when I'm feeling a bit over-zealous, and wanting to get on with plans for tomorrow. On the other hand, his practical and always present in the
"right now" personality has been an anchor for me over the years when my "visioneering"
has taken me far into the future, and I needed a place to come home to for a rest.
SIGNPOST # 2 - If You Believe The Vision Is Not Just For You, But For Your Spouse, Too, Then Trust God To Reveal That To Them.
A Visionary's Road Is Often Lonely. Why? Because A Visionary Does Not Have The Authority To Take Anyone Down A Road That God Has Not Personally Called Them To Travel.
In 1981, after dating two years, I married my best friend, Kim, and we settled into daily life. In our early years, my husband worked as an associate pastor, while I headed up drama teams at church, and helped him in youth ministry. Meanwhile, the Lord was beginning to move in my life, subsequently turning my heart in a different direction. One day, I told Kim that God was calling me to do the work of an evangelist. He was understandably shocked. Never in my life had I done or even aspired to do such a thing. But that was exactly what God was calling me to do.
The cover of our first brochure in 1991.
Eventually, I realized that the rub wasn't that I believed God was calling me to a life of evangelism. It was the fact that I believed God was calling my husband, too! After months of trying to convince Kim that I had heard from God, and He had given me a vision of our future, I gave up the fight. Looking him square in the face, I said without flinching,
"I've made a big mistake in trying to take you where you don't want to go. If this vision is for you, too, then God can tell you, Himself!"
Months passed, when one day out of the blue, Kim approached me and said,
"The Lord spoke to me last night, and I have a peace I didn't have before. We will live out this vision together."
Together, we went on to minister throughout the nation and in churches earning the title,
"missisonaries to the Amerian family". In 1991, we co-founded the non-profit, three-fold evangelistic and outreach ministry of
Kim and Susan Klaudt World Ministries,
which God continues to bless year after year. Since its incorporation, we've ministered in every state, and to date, more than 10,000 people have been won to Christ through this ministry.
SIGNPOST # 3 - If You Are Faithful And Obedient With One Vision, God Will Often Give You Another Vision - The One He Had Been Preparing You For All Along.  Me and my horse, Samson. If you're going to do horse ministry with excellence, then you have to have an excellent partner. Samson was God's perfect choice for me. "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." (Luke 16: 10)
Pastor Wagoner leaned over close to me and
whispered, "You know, Susan, you are a visionary, and people always think visionaries like you and me are crazy!" I thought for a moment about what he had just said to me, and replied, "And why do people think we're crazy?" His answer was like a shot of truth serum straight to my heart. " Because we live somewhere out there - somewhere in the future - a future that most people will never see because they are either afraid, or have no vision."
* The conversation above took place with Pastor Roger Wagoner in Shelbyville, Tennessee, after I shared with him a "crazy" vision I had to teach biblical faith using horses.
For several years, I hesitated to share the vision of horse ministry with others for fear of what naysayers might think. And then God sent me Pastor Wagoner. Without blinking, he looked me in the eye and said, "This horse ministry is what you were born to do. Everything up until this point has been preparation for this time. You've been faithful with visions in the past, and you will be faithful again." His words confirmed what I knew. God had given me a new vision, and He knew that I could be trusted with it. SIGNPOST # 4 - You Must Know Who You Are, And Clearly Define The Vision, Before You Can Be An Active Partner With God In Bringing It About.
When it comes to ministry, or horsemanship, I'm no rookie. I've been an ordained minister for more than three decades, and an avid horsewoman for many years.
"Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2: 15)
So, where do you start when you have a vision? For me, I considered my strengths and my weaknesses. Yes, the Bible says that God is our strength. It also says to
study to show yourself
approved.
The word approved here means to be
"knowledgeable and competent".
I knew that the success of my horse ministry would depend on me being knowledgeable and competent in teaching the Word of God, and with horses. I also knew that in order to be prepared for the journey, I must
"define the vision".
Every time I saddle up to ride, I have a "definitive plan of action" in mind that will help me get the best results out of my horse.
The problem for many visioneers is that they often have unrealistic ideas concerning themselves, and no definitive plans. In considering the vision of horse ministry, I took into serious consideration who I was, and not what I wanted to be. I had already ministered at numerous cowboy churches over the years, but I had never taken a step to launch my own horse ministry. However, I had observed how other horse ministries worked, and it caused me to do a lot of introspection. The ministries I observed often involved someone, usually a man or cowboy, who may or may not have been a qualified or ordained minister. He usually worked in a roundpen setting with an unbroke colt, or an untrained or disrespectful horse. In doing so, the object was to teach or demonstrate some biblical insight. I began to seriously consider my own qualifications and abilities. I had been an ordained minister for more than three decades, and a horse owner and rider for just as long. Yet, I had neither the desire, the experience, or the expertise to work with colts or problem horses. And then the answer came to me. God wasn't calling me to copy someone else, or even reinvent myself. He had already equipped and prepared me ahead of time. I was ordained and qualified to preach the Word of God. And my trained horses were more than qualified to help me do the job. It was my defining moment.  Many people think that being a visionary is some mystical thing that requires you to just trust God and fly by the seat of your pants without a plan. Nothing could be further from the truth. I've never seen God use an unprepared or unqualified person to bring about any of His purposes. Yes, their purposes maybe, - but not His! SIGNPOST # 5 - Every Visionary Must Learn To Trust God, And Wait For His Marching Orders.  If you want to be an active partner in God's vision for your future, you must learn to stand still until He gives you the marching orders to move forward! In January, 2012, just two short years ago, I finally received my marching orders to move forward. The Lord directed me to launch a horse ministry email newsletter. Yep, the one you're reading now! On the surface, it didn't appear to be a large step, especially since I would much rather have jumped right in, and attempted the Herculean feat of building a mega facility for my horse ministry. Such is the grandiose enthusiasm most visionaries entertain. Instead, I chose to follow orders specifically, and launched Susan Klaudt Horse Ministry and the ministry of Natural Horse Faith-Man-Ship via the internet, and an email newsletter.
You cannot train a horse who is not willing to listen, or move forward when told to. Learning to listen, then be willing to move forward on command is the prerequisite to any further advancement. To my amazement, the newsletter readership quickly grew to more than 500 people during the first year alone. Where had these people come from? I didn't even know 500 people! More than 98% were complete strangers. And they came from all over the globe, including almost every state in the U.S, Germany, France, Australia, South America, India, and even some regions of the middle east. The ages of my readers were just as fascinating. I soon learned that my readers ranged in ages from 8 years old to my oldest reader today who is almost 100 years old, and who faithfully emails me regularly just to encourage me. As one might expect, many readers were horse owners, horse professionals and trainers, and horse-lovers in general. But just as many readers were everyday folks, professional and corporate people, pastors, and even those who had never touched a horse in their life. As we enter our 3'rd year of horse ministry, I know we're going to continue to do even more exciting things and we will continue to grow. How do I know that? I know it because I'm listening closely for my next marching orders, and when they come - I'll be ready to move forward! SIGNPOST # 6 - You Must Put Your Feet In The Water If You Want God To Part The Sea!  "Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward." (Hebrews 10: 35)
Visionaries often feel their entire life is one long difficult journey. Can I tell you that the most difficult part of any journey is the beginning? That's not to say there won't be trials along the way. Most certainly, there will be. It simply means that oftentimes, the hardest thing is taking that first step into the unknown. That's a natural, common sense feeling.
I learned early on in my visioneering, that God did not go against my common sense - but He often went beyond it.
At times, certain things will not seem like common sense, even to the one who has been given the vision. But in God's perfect time, the future will unfold, and it will all make
"perfect sense" AND FINALLY... SIGNPOST # 7 - Slow On Patience? You Must Continue To Trust God, Even When The Vision Tarrys.  "For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day." (Habakkuk 2: 3)
If you have read this far, I implore you to finish reading this last signpost. It has to do with the often painful position of waiting for a vision to manifest. I confess, I'm an impatient person at times. Once I grab hold of a vision, I'm charged up, emotionally packed, and ready to go. Such is the inner turmoil often suffered by visionaries who are oftentimes adept at thinking fast on their feet, but short on patience.
My counsel to visionaries is
"Slow down!" Every vision from God has an appointed time. And it's His time - not yours!
In my years of ministry, I've never known a person, including myself, who was given a vision that happened right then and there.
There's always a season of waiting
- a time between the vision, and when it actually comes to pass. Why? Because a vision is like a seed that God plants. He doesn't plant that seed of vision in the heart of a dreamer, or even a naysayer, where it will never come to fruition.
God only plants the seeds of vision in the heart of a true visionary - one who will be faithful to water it, and nurture it over time; one who will continue to believe Him even though the vision tarrys; one who can be trusted with the wait. Remember, everyone has faith for the promised land. But only a few have faith for the wait. Do you have faith for the wait? |
