A Dream

      I walk down a dirt road aware that I am gloriously happy. I am wrapped in the innate awareness of God's presence which is everywhere. The trees are alive, I can see them growing and stretching their branches up toward heaven as in worship. The clouds dance and dip in the sky and I can almost touch them. I stop and breath deep, and as I take it all in, the wildflowers bloom right in front of my eyes. In the distance, here and there, I'm aware that a few people are scattered about, but there is no communication. Everyone is alone. 

     Then suddenly, something changes. It's a tangible thing that I can feel it. I stop confused. What is happening, I think, and look around. The birds have stopped singing. The breeze has stopped blowing. The clouds are still. I realize that I don't know where I'm going any more and I become anxious. I begin to walk faster and I realize that I'm carrying something and that it's getting really heavy. I look down, but I can't see what it is. "Put it down!" I hear someone yell. But even as I hear it, I hold on tighter knowing I will not put it down. What am I carrying?

     And as I move down the road things continue to change . They are subtle and quiet at first.  A shift in the sky, a movement in the meadows, but then colors grow dim, and I can see God's breath leave the trees alongside me and they wither. There brown branches hang toward the ground. The flowers in the fields beside me die, and birds begin to fall dead from the sky.  I fill with panic and begin to run. I look around but none of the people I see seem to notice what is happening.

     The sky begins to grow so dark that I'm terrified. I cry out, "Jesus! Jesus!" And somehow,  inside my dream, I am aware that Paul should be able to hear me. I want him to wake me up. "Jesus!" I scream again.

     And then,  just as suddenly as God was gone, He was back. Everything that died filled back with life again.  I watch as the the trees beside me saturate with color and reach their branches up into the heavens once again. And as I breath deep, my spirit settles inside me as meadows full of flowers blossom with glory.  Then a child appears beside me on the road and smiles. I bend down to meet her eyes. "Do I know you?" I ask her. "Not yet," she replies, "But one day you will. And everything is fine now," she tells me. "God is back."   I fall to the ground and weep happy tears and it is then that I see what I'm holding. It is my Bible. And it's not the least bit heavy. 

    And then suddenly I am awake, but the dream is still very vivid. Maybe the most vivid dream I've ever had. I sit up in bed. When Paul rolls over I reach out. "Didn't you hear me screaming?" I asked him. My heart is still racing. "You all right?" he asks me.  "Didn't you hear me screaming?" I say again. "I was screaming for Jesus."  Sleepily he pats my leg. "Sounds like you had a bad dream?"  He tells me. "You want to talk about it?" I take long slow breaths. "Not right now," I answer. "I can't believe you didn't hear me? I wanted you to wake me up."   "I'm sorry I didnt hear you." He says sleepily. "You okay?" Paul asks.  "Yes." I tell him and lay my head back onto the pillow. "I screamed Jesus's name, and God came back."     "That's good honey." Paul said as he snuggled close. "That's really good."                

Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.