Monday, March 10, 2008

The Dream

My mom had a dream last night, although vivid... (at one time she was tempted to touch one of the visitors from the beyond)... it was in truth only a dream. She told me that she awoke about 2:30 in the morning because these days she wakes up when she can no longer give her back a pain free place in bed. She had moved to the recliner in the living room and through her locked front door my Grandma walked in looking as though she had picked out a body and face from 1940's closet to wear for her visit. Oh, and Grandma brought my Mom's late dog, Jennifer with her, who I guess came across for the ride. Jennifer was not a dog to be left home, she went everywhere with my dad and then after he died, she spent a few months grieving with Mom until she died... of a broken heart, I was told.

Jennifer was so happy to see Mom that she no sooner jumped through the bolted door when she jumped on to the recliner. Mom said, "I could feel her weight on the comforter, but although I wanted to pet her, I didn't dare because I didn't want to know that the visit was real."

So what did Grandma say looking all fine without the osteoporosis hump on her back that had changed her perspective from looking ahead in life to appearing as though she was always searching for something she had accidentally dropped on the floor.

Grandma brought a dark cloud with her, and said "Your dad is going to die."

"Did you mention to her that she was 18 years late with that news flash?" I asked my Mom. "Didn't she attend his funeral 5 years before she was the guest of honor at her own going away to eternal slumber party?"

"I thought it but decided against mentioning it aloud to my ghost mother."

You see that's a youngster that learned to never argue with a parent, especially a dead one. I was raised the same way. This thought brought me to my next point. I thought it were better to let her know right now that in the future...should she find herself a spirit with a message for me she should just save it until I go to her. Don't be troubling yourself to find a nice face and body from the 1950's or 60's for the visit. Just wait up, I be there before you know it. The message will keep.

My Mom believes I can interpret dreams. I don't think it is that hard. Sometimes a dream is a sounding board for the stresses of life, other dreams are lessons given to help us with the journey, and sometimes they hold important information that we need. Dreams are like cryptic messages filled with images that stand for other things. Like the way your hide a bad taste or texture behind sweet bananas on a spoon for a baby learning to eat solids. You don't know the spoon is loaded until it is too late. Dreams are loaded, but carefully covered with symbols we can swallow.

"So what could it mean?" my Mom asked. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Someone is going to die, it's a heads up from beyond."

"Who?"

"Even if she could, I don't think that she would honestly tell you. Do you?"

I thought about today's readings and mentioned to Mom that at least we don't have to die twice like Lazarus. The guy was risen from death by his good friend Jesus, who wept at his tomb. There is one way into this life and one way out for everybody. I thought about how Jesus is always saving us from many spiritual deaths each time we ask His mercy and forgiveness. The death of a soul outside His great mercy would be our greatest fear.

Mom will be 70 in a few weeks. She has outlived her son, Paul, her husband, and Jennifer. She is having extreme back pain and is looking at some life changes in the next decade. Maybe Grandma's visit was to remind her that death is a beginning of a whole new life for those who believe. That from the beginning, we were created for that perfect, amazing life. We have nothing to fear and so much for which to look forward.

In between, there is so much life. So many opportunities to love as a foretaste of what is to come. The kingdom of God is alive and living in each heart that loves Him! Even in suffering we can give to Him a joyful gift! Because everything is made good through Him and in Him and with Him. We have nothing to fear because a great and awesome God first loved us.

I think that Mom just needed to be reassured that everything was going to go down perfectly because it would be His will for us and He only looks for our very best interests yesterday, today and tomorrow...and then finally to one day bring us back home with Him. We all need a reminder from time to time of the "Good News of our salvation!"



I want my God, to love you face to face.