When A Dream Is More Than a Dream

I very rarely remember my dreams.  It's because I'm a deep sleeper, I guess, and I seem to be getting worse.  Alarm clocks have been waking me up since I was 7 years old, but this summer, for the first time I began shutting off the alarm when it went off for my husband and having no memory of it.  Just a few nights ago I apparently had an entire conversation with my daughter....while sound asleep.  I have no memory of it at all.  So, when I do remember a dream it tends to stand out and the dream is probably a doozy.

We've been learning about God speaking to us through dreams and visions in Tuesday night Bible study.  General consensus is that He chooses to tell us things in dreams because it's the only time we're quiet and still....particularly in this busy age.  In the past I've had a few dreams that Freud would have had a field day with, but I can't say I've ever had a dream that I thought or knew came from God.  Then the other night I had this dream....

I was at an old church...just the little, white, country type and there were a lot of people I didn't know, but some I did.  I was in a small room that was very crowded with people sitting in a circle for I believe, a Sunday school class.  The teacher was across from me and a little to the left.  He was the stereotypical jewish man from television and movies.  It was noisy and everyone was talking, but the teacher said, "Stacy, would you read Psalm 24 for us."  I said I didn't have my Bible and asked to borrow one.  Someone handed me a very, very old Bible, the kind you can picture a monk hunched over, pain-stakingly scripting each letter.  The cover was tattered and the parchment pages delicate.  I turned to Psalms and I kept flipping through the pages, but I couldn't find Psalm 24.  The teacher said, "It's Psalm 24."  I was frantically flipping the pages back and forth.  Finally, I looked and Psalm 25 was there.  I flipped the page and Psalm 23 was there, but no Psalm 24.  I looked at the teacher and said "It's not here.  The page is missing.  It's been torn out or fell out."  At that point, someone handed me a new Bible and I turned to Psalm 24 and asked the teacher, "Psalm 24, right?"  He nodded and I looked down to read and that's when I woke up.

As I woke up from the dream I told myself it was important and that I must remember it.  I ran over it again in my mind trying to remember each detail.  The most important thing to remember seemed obviously to be Psalm 24, a scripture I've read, but can't say I've ever studied so was not overly familiar with it.  When I got up in the morning I did two things.  I fired off an email to my Bible study teacher whom I trust and to whom God has given a lot of knowledge and understanding.  I wanted her take on my dream.  The second thing I did was read Psalm 24.  In several different translations.  It's a very powerful scripture.  I'd like to share the version found in The Message with you.  While not the most accurate translation language-wise, The Message often gives the best understanding of the feeling of a scripture.  This is one of those times...let your mind picture the scripture as you read.

God claims Earth and everything in it,

God claims the World and all who live on it.

He built it on Ocean foundations,

laid it out on River girders.

Who can climb Mount God?

Who can scale the holy north-face?

Only the clean-handed,

only the pure-hearted;
Men who won't cheat,
women who won't seduce.

God is at their side;
with God's help they make it.
This, Jacob, is what happens
to God-seekers, God-questers.

Wake up, you sleepyheaded city!
Wake up, you sleepyheaded people!
King-Glory is ready to enter.

Who is this King-Glory?
God, armed
and battle ready.

Wake up, you sleepyheaded city!
Wake up, you sleepyheaded people!
King-Glory is ready to enter.

Who is this King-Glory?
God-of-the-Angel-Armies;
he is King-Glory.

My teacher offered some interpretations relating to me personally that have hit me profoundly.  In addition to those, though, as I've continued to study the verses I believe God was telling me something broader, as well, something that is for all believers.  

Think of the imagery of the verses....God is standing at the gate.  He is dressed for battle (the battle for our souls) and he has his armies of angels behind him!  He is ready!  The battle is his, not ours.  But he stands at the gate, not yet entering.  Why??  Because he is waiting for us.  He is giving us time to mature, to be ready for his arrival, to throw open the gates and welcome him.  But....there will come a day when he won't wait any longer.  A day when he will throw open the gate and deal out the wrath of heaven on all that is evil.  So, we need to get busy.  We need to prepare and get ready.  We don't want to be caught unprepared on the day the gates open.

Joining today with Ann and the others in counting blessings...

481.  Much needed rain.

482.  Cooler temperatures.

483.  No recent arguments with the adult child in residence.

484.  An amazing group of women at church.

485.  A Sunday afternoon movie with the husband.

486.  Finding someone to take the puppy in for her surgery this morning.

487.  Two weeks of school behind me and bus schedules finally ironing out.

488.  A fairly well-behaved group of kids this year.

489.  Contentment with life.

490.  A really good new doctor who is on top of things and that the husband likes (so maybe he will listen).

491.  Ankle pain that isn't getting bad enough to keep me from driving (I am getting x-rays today and see the Dr. again next week).

492.  Peach real-fruit popsicles.

493.  Anything and everything pumpkin flavored.

494.  Sunday mornings curled up with my puppy and the paper.

495.  Safe travels for Mom and her husband so far on their vacation.

496.  A very nice new aide on my bus.

497.  Eat 'n' Park's Seafood Bake.  So bad for me, but sooooo yummy!

498.  Mild hot flashes.

499.  A basket of goodies fresh picked in the garden.

500.  Half-way to a goal.