My Home

I had a dream last night, and it was very significant to me because of various things that have been going on in my life. I don't believe that ANYTHING happens by accident and I thought, just maybe, there is someone else out there who may read about that dream and find it significant, as well.

Having just gotten out of bed and going about my business in the house, I happened to glance out of the window of my bedroom that looks onto the back yard. There, I noticed a child, whom I did not recognize, walking through.  I headed downstairs to go out to the back and find out who the child was and for what reason he was in the yard.

When I left the house from the back door, the presence of the child was no longer a mystery. I saw that every tree in my neighborhood had, apparently, been leveled by a storm. Mind you, this is no small feat, as there are numerous trees, on my street alone, that must be of 100 years of age, more-less...towering hardwoods abound.

I observed that many of my neighbors had already made it outside to begin the cleanup.  Some were gathering fallen branches, others were running saws... one, next door, was commencing with replacing her fence, which had, one might suppose, been completely pulled up and carried away by the same winds that had knocked down all the trees.

As I stood in my back yard, likely looking somewhat like a grade-school student who had just encountered his favorite ball player...eyes wide, mouth hanging open, barely breathing, and fairly statuesque... I was horrified at all of the damage. I could not imagine what it would take, and for how long, to get things back to normal...at least as normal as we would ever know them again. How many chainsaws would I burn through? How much fuel would it take? Will I even be able to get fuel?

In all of my dumbfounded wonder, I made my way over to talk to my neighbor who was already putting in her new fence. All I could utter was to say "It's just amazing."

"Yeah. And to think it all happened so fast, too." she said. "Bout 10 minutes was all it was, but it all sounded like a bunch of gunshots... just one right after the other."

"Gunshots!?" I thought to myself. This only added to my dismay. "What kind of father or husband sleeps through this kind of thing?... A terrible one, that's who. I mean, how am I to ever expect to be able to provide protection for my family in the middle of the night if even THIS kind of thing doesn't rouse me from my apparently-comatose slumber!? What if one of those trees had fallen on the house!? I've read the stories, seen the videos, and even seen the houses where trees have cut through bedrooms like a knife through butter!"

And then my train of thought was halted, quite abruptly...and like a crash-test dummy's rag doll neck whips as a wet noodle in those horrible videos, I felt that I had violently collided with a completely different dimension of reality, as I finally realized what I had wondered to myself in the midst of my vitriolic recital of self-abhorence...

"What if one of those trees had fallen on the house?..."

I was stunned.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but mangled wreckage. Hardly anything, even a blade of grass, was left in its place. But here I was referring to damage to my home in a hypothetical sense. Turning, now, to look squarely at my home, I could see a hefty smattering of tree bark and pine needles over the roof and pseudo-plastered to the side of the house... There were bushes destroyed and all of my trees were lying parallel and prostrate, prepared for their transformation into firewood... Firewood that, next winter, would be burned in my fireplace... a fireplace that was still perfectly intact. Those trees that may have threatened to destroy my dwelling place, and of the same type that did a perfectly fine job of annihilating so many other homes, will now be used to provide warmth and comfort for my family.

My house, the structure that provides for one of my family's most basic needs, was complete and whole. It was intact, entirely.

My home was untouched.

And then I woke up.

When I first began my day this morning, I'll admit that this was just a terrible dream. It wasn't until I recalled my dream to my wife this morning, over breakfast, that it became significant.

I don't know about you or where you might be in your life. I don't know what you've been through, but I know I have a good share of times in my life when I feel attacked and endangered... sometimes it's physical, sometimes its relational, sometimes it's spiritual, but this morning, as I polished of the bacon and cheese eggs my wife had fixed for me, and I told her about this dream, I couldn't help feeling that God was reminding me that, even when all of those things happen and I experience all kinds of tumult, He is with me. When I am inadequate, He is ultimate.

My prayer in writing this down and sharing it with you all is that someone in an egregious set of circumstances might happen to give this a read and find some encouragement.  Even if nothing I've written seems to make any difference in your life at all, hopefully the words of Psalm 23 (NLT) will:

 The LORD is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

 He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

 He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

bringing honor to his name.

 Even when I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me.

 You prepare a feast for me

in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

My cup overflows with blessings.

 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

all the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the LORD

forever.