IF I CAN DREAM

There are songs that do more than echo through the corridors of time — they whisper of a deeper ache, a longing sewn into the human soul. Elvis Presley knew that ache. With a voice that could hush an arena and a charisma that lit up the dullest room, he stood before the world as a man who seemed to have everything — the fame, the fortune, the applause that never seemed to die down.

Yet behind the bright lights was a long line of personal struggle, turmoil that no stage, no spotlight, no standing ovation could chase away. For all the brilliance of his music — the electricity in his sound, the tenderness in his gospel recordings, the unmatched charm of his style — happiness still remained just outside his reach.

We can admire the artistry; we can marvel at the gift; but we must not mistake charisma for contentment. To live like a king is not to live with peace. The world tells us that if we pile up enough pleasures, enough possessions, enough praise, the emptiness within will finally quiet down — but it never does. And Elvis, for all his unmatched talent and global affection, would be the first to tell us that the applause of men cannot still the storms of the heart.

If he could speak to us today — and one day, every voice now silent will speak again — he would tell us that Christ alone is the source of real happiness, real rest, real joy. Death has a way of clarifying the truth; and you can be sure that every soul who has stepped into eternity sees Jesus now as He truly is. There are no unbelievers among the dead.

Yet Elvis once sang If I Can Dream, that haunting plea for a better land where “all my brothers walk hand in hand.” The longing woven into that song is a longing we all feel — the desire for something higher, purer, more enduring than what this world can offer.

If we can dream of a better land, then let us dream of the Kingdom Christ has promised. If we can dream of a better life, let us dream of the life that is “hidden with Christ in God” — a life free from the tyranny of guilt, fear, and sin. If we can dream of being more spiritual, let us set our minds on things above, for our behavior always follows our thoughts; where the mind goes, the feet soon follow.

So dream — but dream the right dream. Not of fame, not of applause, not of living like earthly kings, but of walking closer with the King of Kings. Dream of a heart anchored in grace, a life shaped by Christ’s love, a future brighter than any stage light that ever shone on a Memphis night.

And as you dream, remember: the happiness we chase in a thousand places is found in only one Person — the One who never leaves us empty, and never leaves us alone.

BDD