I had a very vivid dream last week. I was in a beautiful, white marble atrium. To the left in the atrium was a large, sparkling blue pool with a Baja shelf running all the way down the side of the pool. On the shelf of the pool, I noticed two small boys–an 18 month old and a 4 year old– splashing in the water. I scanned the room searching for their parents, but none could be found.  Scared the boys would drowned, I walked over and sat on the pool shelf next to them. *

I played with the children and tried to explain the danger of going into the deep water. The older child seemed to understand, but the 18 month old kept reaching out past the shelf enticed by the bubbles rising from the bottom of the pool, so I stayed to take care of the boys for what seemed like hours.

Then I got anxious that there was something very important that I needed to go do– something I had put on my calendar and felt was very significant.  I kept looking for the boys’ parents, but by now the building was completely empty. Determined that I had to go do this very important thing, I gave the boys one last warning, then left them at the water’s edge alone.

I walked out wide, stately doors to a lush garden, sat down on a stone bench, and began to tie my shoe.  I couldn’t get the knot right, so I untied and retied it several times.  This went on for some time, and all the while I was having this nagging feeling that the youngest boy was going to drowned–but I would not (almost felt like I could not) go back inside because I had to tie my shoe (which apparently was the “important” thing I had planned.)    

I woke up startled and sick to my stomach.  The ominous feeling of that little boy drowning stuck with me all day.  I prayed and wondered what the dream meant because I knew it was a message from God.

Two days later, I understood.  I won’t go into all the details, but a situation has come up where a good friend of mine needs support with her son.  She has to work long hours that often leave her son in a very dangerous place spiritually where he is in real danger of “drowning.”  God showed me before-hand in the dream that if I choose to just do what I deem important–what I’ve scheduled– if I just protect my plans and my freedom, this boy may very well die spiritually.   God also showed me how ludicrous it would be to keep “tying my shoes” and leave that boy at “the water’s edge alone.”

But I don’t believe this dream just applies to me.  I think all of us tend to lean toward our own personal comfort and plans.  It is so easy to get caught up in taking care of ourselves, that we forget what Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? “ Matt 16

Or worse yet, forfeit someone else’s soul?

(This song has really ministered to me lately as Brant and I have been making important decisions. I thought you might enjoy it, too. )

More and More of You

 *(I think this proves I was having a God dream because I had on a bathing suit :))