Last night I had a dream. I was walking on a familiar trail in Birmingham, but all the trees had been cut down. I was devastated. Both my sons were with me, but since this is a dream, they were melded into one person. As I was walking on the trail, which was becoming muddy, I was sobbing. Sobbing for the loss of the trees, which mean so much to me. I was so sad I was walking slowly, and as the mud turned into marsh, I had more difficulty walking. So I called out to Daniel/Tim who was ahead of me and asked him to hold my hand. He did, and then began to pull me through the muck so that I was literally skating through it.
As we emerged from the muddy area of the trail, we ran into an older couple we know. They were also sad about the devastation, but they pointed out that there was a new trail, and it was "over that way". So Daniel/Tim and I headed in that direction which went over a little hill and then opened up into beautiful, rolling country-side with trees and meadows all around. And we started down that path. Daniel/Tim started to get further ahead or behind me and I remember calling out, "Stay close to me! We're not there yet."
And that was the dream. I dream every night, but most of the time they mean nothing. But occasionally I will have a dream which I KNOW means something. Like this one. Thanks be to God.
Also, this morning, upon waking up a dear friend called. I know why he calls, it's to pray for me and encourage me with scripture, so I let it roll over to voicemail so I can listen anytime I want. :-) Here are two of the verses he read to me this morning:
Isaiah 42:16 "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."
Isaiah 43:1 "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you... For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
As I and my family face the next few months ahead, I am reminded daily that the Lord is with me every step. Not with me in an ethereal "up there watching over me" kind of way, but in a very real "I'm walking right next to you carrying your backpack for you" kind of way.
