Most people might chuckle at the remembrance of some of the bizarre ideas and pictures created within their dreams at night. Our minds can take what we see, think or imagine and throw those thoughts together in what can sometimes be comical situations beyond what is our reality.
For some reason I’ve never felt the need to chuckle in the face of my dreams. In fact, there are times I dread remembering my dreams so vividly when I wake. I don’t recall details of these dreams often, but when I do, they are powerful and so real they linger with me throughout the day.
See, I believe that God uses our dreams sometimes as a communication tool. It is in this realm that I have a better understanding of the fear of the omnipotent God I serve. I am no longer in the way of His spirit. The power kick to my mind and emotions can bring tears to my eyes all day after a dream. Today this is where I am at after such an intense message shown to me as I woke from last night’s dream.
I find it odd, but first I must let you know that I don’t always dream from my own perspective. It’s like a novelist who writes from a character’s perspective. So, with this in mind, the following is what I recall from my dream.
He (the perspective of an adult man) found himself in a pool of dead, mutilated bodies of all ages. His first thought is, am I the only survivor of such horrific killings? But while that thought quickly fades, he realizes the danger and now with every part of himself seeks to get as far away from the catastrophic destruction and deadly mess that surrounds him. While inching his way through the surrounding blood and bodies, he comes across one other man who surprisingly is still living. The living man has also fell prey to the mutilation and has had his arms cut off.
Determined to escape the center of this evil and danger that is ever approaching, he decides he is going to get away and he is taking the living man without arms with him. Propped on his shoulder is the weight of the injured and their quest to leave has begun. Of course, before he runs away from the felt danger, he needs to know where he is going.
It becomes clear to him the seriousness of the danger is from armed authority figures at every corner ready to kill as people come closer to the center of the city. He understands he is the only one wanting to leave the city. All others are acting as if tourists cheerfully mesmerized by the city becoming more consumed with what they were being shown through wall-size glass windows instead of viewing the danger waiting for them in the center of the city. The danger they blindly grew closer to was authority figures ready to create a blood bath.
The man, now accompanied by an injured man, hid in different areas as he went further and further away from the city’s center and while doing so, he tried so earnestly to shout at all the people being led the other way. He wanted so badly for them to hear his warning, but they ignored him with their eyes glazed over by the city’s attractions.
There was only one small child who heard him and joined his escape journey. It was a young boy not blinded by the city’s glamour. The three were successful in going through the maze-like city until they reached the top of hills and seen in a distance the beautiful sight of lavish green grass with thick, waving trees in the country side. They had found safety!
This is at what point I woke up in total awe of my deep feelings of relief and at the same time sorrow. I had felt the intense rushes associated with escaping hundreds of armed men. With my knowledge of Scripture, this dream was nothing to wince at and go on my merry way. I laid in bed going over the images that had engulfed me, making sure not to forget the details.
Messages in the dream were made apparent as I had just finished reading the last chapter of Revelation the day previous to this evening’s dream. I began to think about how people are heading in two directions, destruction or life. My heart began to weep for those so blinded by what they were being shown in narrow-mindedness unable to open their eyes wide enough to see a glimpse of God’s picture.
My pondering was made short as everyone else in my house was up and moving getting ready for church, so I joined them. Riding next to Brandon, I decided to share with him what I have just shared here. I explained the whole dream could be summed up by the idea that people are being led to the slaughter house unaware. This alone caused a few tears for the normally unemotional person that I am.
We pulled into the church parking lot and went about our business, but still I could not erase the images of this dream that continued to flash in my mind. I focused in on every word people were expressing in Sunday School and then during church service. I was seeing if I could find some direction in what to do with the dream that was so real to me. Just thinking about it now makes my heart race a little faster.
Sure enough, the message preached by Pastor was such an intense and provoking one. It was to set us moving forward for the goals of the coming days in the new year. However, there was one statement ringing louder in my ears than probably most others. He said if you have a vision you should write it down and run with it. So here I am writing down the vision God gave me. Now I know he was speaking of vision in terms of goals and to move in God’s will for my life, but I pulled a little from this in terms of the dream God had given me and decided to write about it. In the past, I have had similar dreams. Usually, the dreams that rock me to my core are the ones I rarely share with too many people. However, I decided to break away from censoring the material I provide for those taking the time to read my words.
I am writing this dream in hopes to help splash my eyes with some living water and open them a little wider so to avoid the path blinded by the deceitfulness in a city of destruction and encourage someone else to do the same.
