I had an incredibly vivid dream this morning. Ordinarily, I wouldn't share, but this one was very powerful and is really sticking with me. Please understand, as I describe this, that it was a dream, and didn't necessarily make entire sense with the world as we know it. I'm just telling it like it happened.
It was The End. Like, the end of everything. God was preparing to enact the final reckoning, and all of the believers of the world were gathered together in one place. It was many different faiths, too. I don't know exactly which ones were represented, but it wasn't just Baptists, for example. The place was a very large, very flat place, all well-manicured grass and trees. It called to mind the Temple Mount in Jerusalem but, as I said, all grass, like a golf course. All of the people were there, and yet, it wasn't crowded at all. That's not a snarky way to say that there weren't that many believers. It just defied logic, to have so many there and not be crowded. The people clustered together in small groups, talking and sharing stories and ideas about their lives and what was to come.
A small handful of people were then chosen to take on specific tasks. I was chosen to give prayer/last rites for the children in attendance. When I explained that I wasn't Catholic, and didn't believe in last rites, I was told that it was OK. It was to comfort the children and their parents, and my prayer was more than sufficient for what was needed. I agreed, honored to be chosen. Simultaneously, my wife was made the spirit of Death.
Now, before you start evaluating my thoughts about the Missus, you should understand a few things. First, the Bible states that we should strive for the greater gifts when it comes to gifts of the Spirit. My wife has been a Christian for longer than I have and is more mature in her faith than I am. Secondly, she wasn't kitted out with a black robe and scythe. It was just her, and she had a very important job to do. My job was important - I mean, I was singled out - but she was really elevated. It was pretty awe-inspiring.
So, at a given time, we understood that some of the gathered were ready to pass on to...whatever came after. My wife and I moved through the assembled. As I prayed, she would reach out her hand and, whoever she touched, died. It wasn't a normal death. They would freeze up and the color would drain out of them and they just weren't there anymore. Some of them were nervous as she approached, but no one was really afraid. As we passed, some of the remaining people would thank me for the prayers/last rites. When enough people were...I don't know..."taken", we would go back to just being ourselves and waiting for the next time we were needed. This happened a few times.
In the last part of the dream, we were all just waiting again. Suddenly, I heard a quiet commotion behind me. People were talking excitedly, gasping, etc. I knew that God was among us. Without turning to look, I dropped to my knees and pressed my face to the grass. I whispered that I was done waiting and was ready to go. I felt a weight on my back, as if someone were standing over me. He asked me if I was sure that I was ready to examine my life, to be judged. I said, "I've been made holy. I'm ready".
Instantly, there was a table on the grass in front of me. He started gathering the actions, thoughts, relationships, everything from my life and setting them on the table in front of me, like tokens. They were a sort of smoky-white color, and were diferent sizes - some small, like a penny, up to roughly two inches across. He said, "Let's start with the people in your life - those who are important to you". The tokens lined up North-to-South, in the center of the table. As I thought of the people that I cared about, the line of tokens grew. I knew that we were going to go through absolutely everything that I had ever seen, done, thought, felt. I was nervous, but never afraid. I felt Love. Even knowing that my existence would be laid bare, I was never ashamed. I knew that this was just something that must be done before I moved on.
Unfortunately, before I could see what happened next, wind blew through the house, causing the bathroom door to creak and wake me up. I tried to ignore the creaking but, by the third or fourth creak, I was awake. Quite disappointing. I really wanted to see what would happen next.
I'm not really sure why I'm sharing this. I'm not one of those "visions" people. I realized, as soon as I woke, that it was a dream. I don't feel like I saw the future or anything. It was just a very powerful experience for me. If anything, I think it provides a clear idea of how I view God. That alone makes it worthwhile for me.
P.S. I just put my iPod on Shuffle, and the first song it chose was "These Dreams", by Heart.
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