“Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion”. Lamentations 3:32
God spoke to many people through dreams. The Bible tells us those who believed on Him also understood what the dreams were saying to them.
Take Mary’s husband Joseph for example. God spoke four times to him in dreams in reference to what actions he should take. The first dream told him to take Mary as his wife. (Matthew 1:20-24) The second was to flee from Bethlehem to Egypt with Mary and Jesus when Harod schemed to kill all children in Bethlehem, two years of age and under. The third dream told Joseph to leave Egypt and go back to Israel. And the fourth dream told him to return to live in the town of Nazareth. (Matthew 2:13-23)
“Dream” is a beautiful song that my two granddaughters, Sara and Amanda, sang at Neil’s funeral in January of this year. It tells about flying away to the highest heights, finally being free from these earthly bonds. I have often wondered what it would be like to get a glimpse of the afterlife as some have experienced.
The night Neil died, our son Robert got a glimpse of it when he heard the most beautiful music and wonderful ‘Jam Session’ going on with Neil playing a guitar and singing. The joy he felt was wonderful and comforting to him at a time he was so low in grief. He looked around wondering where the music was coming from before he realized it was God’s gift to him to help him through his grief, showing him his father was happy and well. I envied him that experience, wishing it could have been me. However, God chooses how when, and whom He speaks to, and what is needed most for that person at the time.
Well, God spoke to me early one morning a few weeks ago when I had a dream….
Neil and I were driving in our old blue Ramcharger looking for a parts and repair place for the Ram. We drove too far and for some reason we missed the place. The next thing I knew, we were in a man’s house that was three stories high. I was sitting by myself on a lounge chair in the living room on the second floor, trying to finish eating slices of ham that had been rolled up in one large roll. I could not finish it as it stayed the same size each time I bit into it. It had no flavor nor did I enjoy the taste, but I did not want to throw it away.
Off the living room were sliding glass doors with a balcony outside and stairs leading to the patio and entrance below. There were couples everywhere on the balcony as well as below chatting and talking while music was playing. I neither heard what anyone was saying, nor the kind of music being played. I just knew it was.
While I was alone in the living room, this same man came up to me and told me we had missed the parts place which was back down the street at 1931. He told me to go right now before they closed and seemed in a hurry to get us there. I ran out to the balcony holding this ham roll and called twice for Neil. Someone told me he was below so I went to the balcony edge and looking down, again called for Neil.
He came out from a corner behind some people and shuffled forward very puffy in baggy pants with his waist and legs large and swollen. He could not hear me as I tried to tell him about the repair shop. He stepped up to a small landing and indicated he could not hear me, but he never tried to talk. Neil seemed to be in the crowd, but apart from it, and not partaking of the conversations around him. Yet, the people knew he was there as they told him I was calling. He seemed irritated that I had called him out from where he had been.
As he stood there, these bulky pants fell down to his knees revealing his underpants and emphasizing his bloated body. He reached to get them, but they dropped farther to his feet. As he reached farther down and was pulling them back up, I noticed he was no longer bloated but was a normal size again.
There continued to be a lot of talking and music going on around us, so I signaled to him and shouted that I would come downstairs through the inside of the house. I went inside and up to the third floor to get our things together. All the while I was trying to finish eating this rolled up meat that never seemed to get any smaller.
At this point I woke up and this is what God revealed to me through this dream…
The old Ramcharger was Neil’s body needing a new part, and the man I didn’t know was an angel sent to comfort me as the first anniversary of Neil’s death approached.
The many slices of rolled up ham was telling me that the problem was bigger than I could handle, but at the same time I wouldn’t stop trying to get a handle on it.
The three story house was the three heart attacks Neil had suffered over the years.
The people everywhere talking with music playing was life, going on around us that we were oblivious to as we struggled to overcome each hurdle.
The balcony edge was where I stood and watched Neil’s life and death struggle, so many times over the years.
The parts place down the street at 1931, is the year that Neil was born. The parts and repair place was Heaven, where Neil would receive this needed new part, and the man (angel) was in a hurry for us to leave the house because Neil’s earthly time was running out.
Me alone in the living room. Many times I was alone telling God I wasn’t ready to let Neil go. He had mercy and kept the roll whole until I could not bite into it anymore.
Neil coming out from behind people and shuffling over to the stairway. God gave me another glimpse of what life was like for Neil these last years. The pants falling down clearly brought back memories of what state his body was in here on earth, and as he pulled the pants back up it revealed the freedom from that discomfort and pain that he is experiencing now in heaven.
I understand why Neil was displeased at being brought out. Would you be happy to leave heaven and come back to earth to an old body that caused you so much grief and pain?
I thanked God for giving me another glimpse of last year, and also for His comfort provided me through this dream. He continues to tell me to keep my eyes focused on Him, for the gift He has given Neil, He will also give to me at the end of my earthly journey.
God spoke to each of us in a very special way when He sent us Jesus as a baby in a lowly manger bed. May you partake of this miraculous humble gift in thankful worship this day, and every day of the year. Syb Brodie