Spoken in Dreams.

Yesterday, I was having dinner in our backyard with Noah, the 11yr old girl I live with in Phx. She was reading her school book out loud to me and practicing her front hand spring too. We got to talking about faith in Jesus, and somehow I brought up my dreams. I told her that ever since I was little, I have felt like God speaks to me through dreams.

I went to bed early last night, about 9:30pm. The following sequence is what happened in my sleep.

I am running. It is green, it is grassy, the skies are overcast. I don't know where I am, but I am running. I am chasing. I am chasing a dear friend who is well ahead of me. She is running. From what? I ask. She responds with "that direction." "I will run anywhere but there." Instinctively, I knew that she was running the wrong way. I knew that she was running away from something, and my heart of hearts told me it was the truth. I picked up my pace. I'm running faster, wishing to catch up to her and hopefully stop her. We run past a field with horses, she stops. I grab her hand and we turn around. We begin the long process of walking back. It is a long walk, for her, it is painful. We make it back to where we came from. A bathroom. It is bright white and sparkling clean. She is now cleaned up, renewed and restored. She has found healing.

*I wake up. It's only 12:04. I fall back asleep.*

I am walking out of the bathroom. I turn the corner and a man is hiding behind a pillar. His intent is to hurt me. I begin running through the parking lot, hoping to make it to my car, to safety. He is close behind me and his intent is to catch me. I am fumbling in my purse for my keys and my taser. My intent is to hurt him, before he hurts me. I am approaching my car and realize that I do not need to fear, for he can destroy my body but he cannot destroy my soul. Now, with strength and confidence stemming from my soul's security, I stop, turn around and stand. I stand tall. I stand strong. I stand confident. He approaches, perplexed. He comes all the way up to me, face snarling only inches from mine. He is afraid. He turns around and flees.

*I wake up. It's 2:24 and my heart is pounding. I am nervous to fall back asleep. Hesitant, I close my eyes.*

I am climbing in my car, I back out of the parking lot and drive home. With a heavy heart, I go straight to my room. I am covering a friend in prayer. My phone rings, it is her. She is at my door and has come to say goodbye. She is leaving tonight for another state. I answer the door and wrap my arms around her. She is dropping out of Nursing School and leaving to nanny for a little boy. I see the boy. He has no arms or legs, he has no heart or lungs, he is systemically infected. His prognosis is certain death, and it's only a matter of time. My heart knows that she is forfeiting her hope of a future (education), for a life that is decaying. My heart is grieving.

*I wake up. It's 4:37 and my stomach feels sick. It is impressed on me that this past dream was a parable of my friend's heart. I don't fight my slumber this time.*

I am walking inside. I have said my goodbye to her and feel as if I, too, must leave. I get my keys and begin to drive. I drive and drive until I end up at my grandparent's house. I walk up to their door and knock. They open and welcome me in.

We are catching up in their dining room. All appears well and then it happens. Now, I am not only aware of the physical world, but my eyes now see the spiritual realm too. I am still sitting. We are still talking. My eyes become focused on the back of their house. I see the enemy. He has my cousin caged in the back room. My cousin is stuck. I see the battle between good and evil, light and darkness. I see the battle for my cousin's soul and the enemy is prevailing. I am sad. I saw the angels of God wishing to break in and break my cousin free. I realize that my cousin is imprisoned because he has given the enemy control of his life.

My cousin opens his door and comes out. With physical eyes, I see him approaching me, he appears conflicted. With a spiritual perspective, I see the enemy taunting him. My cousin walks towards me. He begins acting wild, like the man chasing me in the parking lot, he is clearly not himself. My grandparents are distressed. They had seen him act strange in the past, but it was evident that my presence was not helping.

I am aware. I recognize that all my cousin needs is Jesus. I know that Jesus would have the ability to break my cousin free of his bondage. As if He had heard my thoughts, Jesus steps into my grandparent's living room. I, however, am the only one who can see Him. Upon His arrival, the enemy, who was in my cousin, could not remain in him and fled. Just as darkness cannot remain in the light, evil cannot remain in the presence of holiness. At the fleeing of the enemy, my cousin falls flat on his face. The impact of my cousin's body on the wood floor removed my spiritual eyes. I am now fully present in the physical world. My grandparents are concerned as they rush to my cousins side. They think he has fainted. I smile and know that my cousin encountered the glory of God. I am assured that his life will never be the same. The oppression he had experienced would now be replaced with liberation. His condemnation would now be replaced with joy.

*My alarm goes off and it is time to start my day. I climb out of bed smiling, how great is our God?*