Dream a Little Dream for Me

Sometimes I fly, and other times I fall.  Many times I cry, or talk out loud, or moan.  Dreams bother me really.  I often wake up feeling like I never truly rested.   Don’t get me wrong. Not all dreams are bad.  Sometimes the good guy wins, and the story in my mind finishes well.  I wish, though, that my mind would shut down for those precious hours of quiet and peace when I don’t need to think, or plan, or teach, or make decisions. 

Unfortunately, I think I have passed this wonderful ability to watch midnight mental movies to my sweet Princess.  She is the writer and the artist, so she sees the vivid colors and interwoven story lines in her dreams.  Yet, she agrees with me that dreams are tiring no matter how intriguing the story. 

In the past, God used dreams to reveal more about himself and what was to happen in the future.  My dreams are nothing of the sort.  Maybe it is the medication.  Maybe it is a heightened stress level.  Maybe it is what I ate for dinner.  Though God is still the same, I believe he chooses to work quite differently today than he did a few thousand years ago. 

This morning, our dreams prompted an interesting van ride conversation between Princess and me.   Did people dream differently in Old Testament times?  Joseph’s dreams of bowing wheat definitely caused conflict in his family.  His dream was considered a prophecy.  His brothers were tremendously annoyed, but they knew it was truth.  God’s Word does not reveal any discussion of a bad bowl of stew or fermented drink.  He used a dream to reveal how that family order would change. 

Why were dreams used that way then and not now? I wonder if they ever dreamed of flying pigs or talking trees.  Did they see themselves floating?  Were dreams only used as a means of communication with God?  Why did it change? 

Did man choose to fill their minds with clutter and busyness that there was no room left for God?  Instead of seeking God, did man choose to live life for himself?  Maybe man just stopped listening.  Then again, God is God and can choose to communicate any way he chooses. 

I am glad that God has given his written word and his beautiful creation to reveal who he is and what is to come.  My dreams are way too weird and convoluted to make any sense. 

I still wish that my mind would be quiet for the night, or that all my dreams would be sweet.  But, I have to say that I am thankful for pictures, for stories, for emotions, for conversations that prompt me to see God in a fresh way.