A Crazy Dream

Have you ever had one of those dreams that wasn't just a dream?  A few weeks ago I dreamed I was standing across the street from Macey's store with my husband and others.  We were waiting for the light to change so we could cross the very busy six-lane road to the store.   I saw the light change and the walk sign turn on.  I started across but soon realized that I was quickly losing momentum and energy.  By the time I got halfway across I could no longer put one foot in front of the other. My husband had not followed.  I knew the light would change soon and I would be in the way of traffic.  I dropped to my hands and knees to continue making progress, but the more effort I exerted, the slower and weaker I got.  The "no walking" sign flashed up and the other light turned green.  I was right in the way in the cross walk.  I wondered if the cars would run over me, but they stayed at a stop while I desperately continued to try to crawl, moving slower and slower all the time.  Finally, finally, I reached the curb, then the sidewalk, the finally the small section of grass between the sidewalk and the parking lot.  I collapsed onto the cool and prickly grass with a deep exhaustion so encompassing that I have only known it while trying to come out of anesthesia or during my carbon monoxide poisoning trying to fight to consciousness.

I laid there unable to move or open my eyes, though I was still conscious.  After a few moments I sensed someone was standing near me.  I didn't think I could open my eyes to see who it was.  Finally I mustered enough energy to open my eyes and tilt my head just a little to see who was there.  It was Jesus.  He smiled and extended his hand out to me to help me up.  I didn't think I could lift my arm, but somehow I did, and as soon as his hand touched mine I received enough energy to stand up.  We began to walk across the parking lot together towards Macey's.  I was extremely surprised how quickly my normal amount of energy returned, allowing me to walk as though nothing at all had happened.  End of dream.

This dream was so real that when I drove past that very spot the next day, I swear if I could have done DNA testing, I would have found evidence that I had actually been in that spot on the grass.

As I pondered this very realistic dream I felt it was a representation of my life right then, and a hope of what was to come.  I had been working an extremely difficult job that was draining the life out of me emotionally and physically.  I often felt that I didn't know if I could keep going.  I was waiting for a very good job to open up when I had this dream, and it had not yet opened.  I felt that emotionally I was "face down" in the grass.  I stayed in that emotional place for weeks.  Finally I was given the opportunity to change to a wonderful new job.  Over the past weeks I have felt myself muster enough energy to open my eyes, and start to rise from the grass.  I don't know if I am walking yet, but I can feel that I am no longer "face down".

I share this dream in hopes that when you have hard times and feel that you are barely hanging on, or are emotionally crawling on your hands and knees across traffic, not knowing if you are going to get run over at any minute, or when you are face down in the grass and are too exhausted to open your eyes and go on, that you will know there is hope.  This is not the end.  Keep alive the hope that someone will come and extend a hand to you to lift you up so you can keep going.  Believe that you can be given new energy, and can receive strength to walk across the figurative parking lot and into the grocery store to be replenished.