A few men in history arise and call to others to be numbered among the ones that serve a greater cause. These men dispense hope and call on their fellows to pursue a nobler purpose. These inspire others to dream of more, to dare to reach for the possibilities.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived his life in this way. His life and work look much different than those that chased the spotlight and loved fame. He didn’t just push for change in the laws that governed access and opportunity; he pressed for hearts to be moved to do the right thing. He encouraged others to live their lives in pursuit of excellence.
What changed King from being an average preacher to an international figure calling for change? It started when Martin Luther King met Coretta Scott. Coretta and Martin Luther both loved opera. That was what brought them together for their first date. The following spring, King proposed to Scott and she accepted while agreeing to support his calling as a preacher. After the incident where Rosa Parks was arrested in 1955 for not giving up her bus seat to a white man, King was called and with Coretta’s permission, accepted the position of leading the boycott against the bus system that propelled him to a more prominent stage in life. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. went on to inspire change amongst his followers by taking action to gain certain civil rights such as the right to vote, the right to gather to talk and the right to march.
Not surprisingly, Dr. King’s life has served as inspiration for a tribute written by a grandmother from Tennessee entitled, Listen To My Dream.
To find out more about Listen To My Dream, please visit the book’s website. For more about the author, visit http://www.debipearl.com/.