I Had a Dream...

I woke up this morning from a dream that I was having at about 2:30 AM, according to the clock on my nightstand.  It’s kind of funny that while I didn’t remember most of the content of the dream… I did recall that I was at my parent’s home and had just walked down their long curving driveway and into the street… which I had done countless times as a kid, having grown up there from the early 1960’s until Piper and I got married in 1975.

Something about the dream though, had unsettled me and as I laid in the dark staring at the ceiling, I tried to make sense of the troubling feelings that clouded my mind.  I finally threw off the covers and walked into the bathroom to get a drink of water.  Once I quenched my thirst, I leaned back against the counter and began to analyze my thoughts.  I realized that my attention to the dream was all focused on the important part that my parent’s house had played in my life. 

I was also made aware that I had never brought any closure to that part of my life since Piper and I moved out of state in 2014.  It wasn’t as if we dropped everything at the time and moved as quickly as we could.  We (okay… I) planned the move for over a year, but with Piper’s rapidly declining health, I had all I could do to care for her changing needs and prepare for the move across the country.

Piper was my first and foremost priority and aside from the move preparations, she received every spare moment of my attention… and with the sale of my parent’s house going on at the same time… it meant that the repairs, updates and improvements that my brother and a cousin who is a contractor were doing on the house, were totally off my radar.  And when the house was sold, I never had (or made) the time to go back and see it and/or say my memory filled goodbyes.

I would also need to add that I was under a lot of pressure from a small contingent of extended family who didn’t agree with some of the decisions I had been making with Piper’s care.  There were many inaccuracies stated that could have easily brought instability, disorder and un-needed commotion amongst Piper and I and our kids… which, thank God, never occurred and in fact worked to intensify our faith and our unity!

I Corinthians 14:33 in the King James Version tells us that,

“God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

The modern Message paraphrase Bible puts it this way saying,

“God doesn't stir us up into confusion; He brings us into harmony. This goes for all the churches—no exceptions.” 

So, while there were many things stirring up the pot… so to speak… at that time in my life, I prioritized my energy and attention on caring for my wife’s increasing needs and the upcoming move… which didn’t leave me many opportunities to bring closure to other areas of my life that I may or may not ever get to see again… as we moved far away from our hometown and state.

Now though, as I look back some ten years later, I do not regret any of the decisions that were made… under what I believed to be the Lord’s leadings back then.  But as the dream last night reminded me… I do wish that I could have had the time to bring closure to some special memories that were left behind!

I do think that if I had been more aware of the physical consequences of the outside pressures of confusion and disharmony that were attempting to be put on me… that I would have been able to spend less time dealing with them and more time in completing activities that I now wish I had addressed.

So, what is my point in all of this?  Simply, to be aware of confusion and disharmony in your life.  According to our scripture (and many more like them in yours and my Bibles), confusion, disharmony, disorder and instability are NOT activities given to us by our loving heavenly Father… and are in fact… a part of the enemy of our faith’s arsenal of weapons that he throws against us.  John 8:44 plainly informs us that,

“The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never been truthful. He doesn't know what the truth is. Whenever he tells a lie, he's doing what comes naturally to him. He's a liar and the father of lies.” (God’s Word ©)

Therefore, with that Biblical understanding under your belt, be aware of the lies that he attempts to slip into our lives in the forms of confusion, disharmony disorder and instability.  Don’t allow his tactics to stop you from pursuing and enjoying your family, your daily activities, your dreams, your life goals and the plans and purposes that the Lord has for you and your loved ones to pursue in your life!

As for me… well… this early morning’s dream helped me to see and plan for ways that I can and will bring closure to the important areas of my life that were all set aside when Piper’s needs demanded my loving and clearly focused attention.

HOW ABOUT YOU?  What are you going to look out for as YOU pursue the daily events of your life?

Have a great weekend…. Stay alert to the enemy’s tactics and keep EXPECTING God’s Best… and then, pass it on to someone else!  We are back in the teens and minus windchill factors for a few days, but it seems rather comfortable compared to the Artic weather we experienced earlier this week… I guess that it’s all relative!

Stay warm and dry and enjoy your weekend!