Walt Disney used to live next door to our house in Kansas City. (We call him 'W' for short. This was before George 'W' Bush.)
When I say he lived next door to our house, I mean it. We didn't live there at the time, but the house he used to live in was the house next door to the one we later moved in to -- 30 years later, but still ... I'm just saying ...
I love the story of W Disney. He built Disneyland in California and everybody said: 'This is it. Incredible. There will never be anything that rivals this. Nothing will ever come close.'
And in the '60s it was the most wonderful theme park anywhere in the world. Everyone thought it was absolutely the wildest - the greatest - the most stupendous ---- everyone except W.
While everyone else was enjoying Disneyland, W went to Florida. He started looking for property where he could unleash his imagination in a way that would put Disneyland to shame.
One day he found some land and said to his realtor: 'This is it! This is where I'll build it.'
But his real estate agent, otherwise known as Steve Wozniak, scoffed: 'You don't want to buy that! That's nothing but swampland. You can sure get it dirt cheap, but you don't want it.'
'That's what I want and that's what I'll get.'
And that's where he built it.
If you've ever been to Disneyworld in Florida, you know part of the ambience is riding the monorail right over top of miles of swampland. Then all of a sudden, you see the Magic Kingdom come into view in front of you.
W didn't live long enough to see the dedication of Disneyworld. He died just before the opening. At the dedication, one of Disney's friends leaned over and said to Disney's widow: 'I wish Walt could have seen this.'
She answered, 'He did. If he hadn't, none of us would be sitting here now.'
There are people who have an incredible gift for seeing things not as they are, but for what they can be multiplied to become.
Jesus did that with people all the time. He saw them for who they could become rather than for who they were at the moment. He saw them for their possibilities rather than for the problems.
He does that with us, too.
And be blessed.
When I say he lived next door to our house, I mean it. We didn't live there at the time, but the house he used to live in was the house next door to the one we later moved in to -- 30 years later, but still ... I'm just saying ...
I love the story of W Disney. He built Disneyland in California and everybody said: 'This is it. Incredible. There will never be anything that rivals this. Nothing will ever come close.'And in the '60s it was the most wonderful theme park anywhere in the world. Everyone thought it was absolutely the wildest - the greatest - the most stupendous ---- everyone except W.
While everyone else was enjoying Disneyland, W went to Florida. He started looking for property where he could unleash his imagination in a way that would put Disneyland to shame.
One day he found some land and said to his realtor: 'This is it! This is where I'll build it.'
But his real estate agent, otherwise known as Steve Wozniak, scoffed: 'You don't want to buy that! That's nothing but swampland. You can sure get it dirt cheap, but you don't want it.'
'That's what I want and that's what I'll get.'
And that's where he built it.
'Jesus saw people for who they could become rather than for who they were at the moment.'
If you've ever been to Disneyworld in Florida, you know part of the ambience is riding the monorail right over top of miles of swampland. Then all of a sudden, you see the Magic Kingdom come into view in front of you.
W didn't live long enough to see the dedication of Disneyworld. He died just before the opening. At the dedication, one of Disney's friends leaned over and said to Disney's widow: 'I wish Walt could have seen this.'
She answered, 'He did. If he hadn't, none of us would be sitting here now.'
There are people who have an incredible gift for seeing things not as they are, but for what they can be multiplied to become.
Jesus did that with people all the time. He saw them for who they could become rather than for who they were at the moment. He saw them for their possibilities rather than for the problems.
He does that with us, too.
And be blessed.
3 comments:
Thanks Pastor Kevin! I needed to read that this am!
Great read PK and Blessings to you and your family we Love Disney too and his vision was truly an inspiration.
We sure do miss our Kenosha Church family having been in Florida for the past 22 months. We live right outside of Disney World in a small town built by Disney called Celebration. We continue to be amazed at the excellence in which everything pertaining to Disney is executed. Our government sure could stand to learn a lesson from Disney. Nothing is done halfway or second best. Every detail is covered. This serves as a reminder to me to live my life as Chrit's ambassador at a level of excellence. Walt may have had a vision, but I think even he would be amazed at how well his vision has been executed. Jesus too had a vision, and I think he would be pleased to see his ambassadors representing him in a world which has settled for mediocrity as a norm.
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