In 1905 Albert Einstein stunned the world with his revolutionary equation, E = mc2. Einstein wrote hundreds of papers over the course of his career. But this provocative equation, printed in one of his Annus Mirabilis papers, wasn't something he just stumbled upon by chance. It was the culmination of years of research, an insatiable curiosity about the universe, and a deep love of science.

When Einstein was a small boy, his father gave him a compass. Albert was mesmerized by the power that seemed to emanate from within the magnetic pull of the compass. He would write years later, "I can still remember … that this experience made a deep and lasting impression on me. Something deeply hidden had to be behind things." As a teenager, the intrigue and wonder of physics crept into Albert's dreams. One night, he dreamed he was sledding down a hill faster and faster, until he approached the speed of light. The stars radiated a broad spectrum of colors. He was entranced. When he awoke, he knew he had to understand the dream. In, later years he said that his entire scientific career was a meditation on that dream.

Albert Einstein didn't understand the dream he had when he was thirteen, but something deep inside him kept pondering this dream his entire life. He may not have set tangible goals for himself to shoot for, but each failed experiment, each new discovery was one step closer to understanding the speed of light. Each science class and professorship he took was moving him closer toward his destiny.

Possible Preaching Angles: (1) Dreams; Vocation; Calling—What is the dream that God has put in your heart? (2) Sanctification; Spiritual growth—God has a dream for us: to make us more like Christ? With each "failed experiment and each new discovery" we are getting one step closer to that dream and goal.