wow... that was just... so powerful...

[Tenshi no Ai]

(Long post warning! But I hope people will read and comment, cause I'm just curious to what others think about it^^)

Ok where to start with this.... First off, after the topic I made on my dreams, it's pretty clear that I chronically dream pretty much every night. Some of them are more realistic than others, but I just had a dream last night that totally struck me and stuck out like a sore thumb. The types, where just how, quite plain and simple, it looks like the type that is from God. Almost a similar feeling I got when I received a couple visions in the past, or was even encountered by demons (yeah it's easy to say "well, it could have been a dream" but it's surprising how much dreams can influence me. Sometimes certain ones just... feel different... If anyone here can relate to that). I know dream interpretation is a VERY iffy thing to try and do, but with what was shown before me, it's almost plain and simple that there were simple messages/lessons in it... Although I'm sure some may think otherwise...

So I guess I'll start off by explaining the dream^^ I swore when I had the dream it felt completely real, although yeah it was a little jumbled, like most dreams are at times. Here goes...

I was at my house with my mom, a couple of friends and my boyfriend, hanging out or whatever. Some of them were about to go home, but we noticed some strange people outside in the front yard, planning something. We tried to do this weird thing (dream jumbledness :/) to try and get everyone to leave safetly because we were unsure of the "men in blackish suits", as they appeared. A couple soon just came in through the door, casually and announced that they were going to invade and rob the house. The leader told us to stay inside while they did their business. I sat there thinking "oh great, they're going to raid my ENTIRE game/DVD collection >_<" The leader started counting. On "one", the lights went out and on "two" the phone lines went out, so he said. I knew we needed help because as casual as they seemed, they still seemed, all the more threatening. Besides, they were raiding our entire house!

I slipped away from the scene, somehow, into my room. Phones were out so I grabbed my cell phone and kept trying to dial 911. Everytime was a fail because it kept going to some different number and saying that the number wasn't in service. I started to panic and soon enough, the whole house did. I looked outside and could see 30+ cars outside. They weren't just raiding my house my the entire neighborhood. In fact, some houses were already completely burnt down/destroyed! People started to get scared and come to our house which turned into one giant panic... I felt like it was up to me to save everyone from this wreak. More disastrous and strange thign continued to happen, such as wild cats and demon-like things appearing to help destroy the place and create panic. I could here the sounds of breaking and screaming happening...

All I could do was cry^^ The 911 thing just wasn't working, and my guy kept telling me that we should find a way out. But I kept hiding because I knew if they found me with the phone, our last hope for help would be gone. As I cried I started praying VERY heavily. The scene was complete chaos and although I couldn't see what was going on, I could hear it and I was so scared of what was going on. Scared that people I knew were getting hurt, scared that my cat died of a heart attack form something, and so forth... I FINALLY got ahold on the phone to some odd number (since no others were working) and they person on the phone called 911 for me. But then it was the waiting game... All I could do was sit around and wait, while listening to the screaming, the destruction of what was going on outside my bedroom. I continued praying and praying so strongly, and soon enough I couldn't handle it. I SCREAMED at the top of my lung's God's name (well, cept this and most of my praying was done in Japanese^^ I just... tend to do that...) And then, an impossible miracle occurred: God stopped time that very second...

Everyone (except me) were frozen in place, and everything went silent... I wandered out of the bedroom to see all the strife just... frozen... The thing that struck me the most during this whole dream, was when I got to my guy. He was inches away from death. If I didn't call God just when I did, he would've died. A cougar was in it's pounce stance on it's hind legs, with its mouth and teeth inches away from his neck. After I touched him, he came out of the frozen spot but everything stayed the same. Soon enough, others started to emerge from it, except for the "bad guys". The police never did make it in time, because shortly after this things went to a blur and I woke up...

I woke up and even during the dream, just certain things about it struck me... I woke up thinking "whoa..." that very second. Dreams are common for me, yes, but hardly EVER do I feel like that.... It's as if, no there was nothing for me to "interpret" because I saw things just as they were and understood things instantly.

The thing about the stealing/home raid. It made me right away think of that verse (in which I forget exactly where) on how the more possession you own, the more you worry. I have quite the rarities when it comes to the anime DVDs and games that I've accumulated over the years. I'm a little obsessive-compulsive when it comes to collecting, too. A weakness of mine, yes. And where my house is located, it's amazing that the houses on either side of where I lived have been stolen from except here and even recently, another house in the neigbourhood. Sometimes yes I do worry specifically on what would happen if someone came and just... took them all. During the dream I had that "I can't believe this is happening..." feel, and it just brought me back to reality with how irrational those types of worries really are, considering what's REALLY important in life... Because yeah, thigns liek that CAN happen to anyone. In the dream it almost felt like God was teaching me a lesson with the pride I just about contained with materialism like that.

The second huge thing of the dream that struck me, if not the main thing. I never gave up on people while on that phone and when I felt like I could do as much as I could with my own abilities, I called on Him. I called and I pleaded through tears to help save them. Most specifically though, if I didn't call on Him JUST when I did, my boyfriend would have been dead from that cougar... As most of you would know, in real life my guy isn't a Christian and if you've seen with posts, such as the one I made in spiritual growth I have been quite worried on things. Although, on my newest post in the prayer room here, are my thoughts ho I sometimes feel like I can't do anything and things can really seem impossible sometimes... But in the dream, I so honestly came to God, and he created THE impossible: he froze time in place! Nothing's impossible for Him! And because I didn't give up and kept on trying, I helped save a life... That just, really gave me confidence in reality, not to give up on people and with God at your side, the impossible can be done and people can be saved.... Just... can't give up, ever!

And that, was a brief telling on my powerful dream I had last night, which just gave me courage and strength to help me continue tryign my best and not to give up, and just HOW amazing God is with His strength... He CAN do the impossible. To see something in reality like time freezing though, THAT would be an amazing miracle to witness, it would^^

[Danderson]

It sounds like you might be closer to finding your purpose in life.....no, I'm really serious....

I have not heard anyone else claim to remember almost every dream they have each night, especially in this detail. so who knows...this could very well be a gift...

......

.....Man, I wish I could remember my dreams that vividly.......

[JasonPratt]

So, have you told the boy about it? (You may have said, but I read it earlier today, and in a way I've slept since then. Well, I _wish_ I had slept since then... Actually, I'm wishing I could go to sleep now... long day. {apologetic g})

JRP

[Tenshi no Ai]

So, have you told the boy about it?

I briefly mentioned a part of it to him. It would be awkward to flat out say "I had a dream where I felt like I can save you" etc etc. At the moment, he's gone off to read his book on Buddha and his teachings. Although I myself have an interest in learning about other cultures, religions, and beliefs, I try and stay indifferent with it all. Actually, I try and learn more when I can, just so I can know other beliefs a bit better as a sort of compare/contrast. Although I'm not going to intervene myself and say "that's bad, don't read it" I do feel... a bit uneased... But I have strong faith in God, even for those people when opinions seem the strongest and they seem the hardest to get through. During the time he reads, think I'll spend some time in prayer. It's actually... been a while since I've had a nice, long prayer session...

[JasonPratt]

At the moment, he's gone off to read his book on Buddha and his teachings. Although I myself have an interest in learning about other cultures, religions, and beliefs, I try and stay indifferent with it all. Actually, I try and learn more when I can, just so I can know other beliefs a bit better as a sort of compare/contrast. Although I'm not going to intervene myself and say "that's bad, don't read it" I do feel... a bit uneased... But I have strong faith in God, even for those people when opinions seem the strongest and they seem the hardest to get through. During the time he reads, think I'll spend some time in prayer.

Believe me when I say, I completely sympathize. {s}

It helps me, when I'm praying for the one to whom I was given, to remember that God loves her even more than I can-or-do. I know it's no guarantee against bad things happening to her, but it's a question of trust about whether God will love her completely enough to never rest until she is finally safe and home and complete.

I do trust God on that, but it takes a lot of strength I don't naturally have (on my part) to do that. Which doesn't mean I will grieve any less if she is hurt, or hurts herself, in the meanwhile. But I also remember that if this happens, it is because God doesn't love those other things (as creations of His and as persons) any _less_ than He loves her. (It's still a tragedy, but it's a subtly different kind of tragedy. Because whatever tragedy happens isn't _hopeless_. God won't let it be hopeless, despite how bad it may get in the meanwhile.)

It's actually... been a while since I've had a nice, long prayer session...

Which may have been the point of the dream, even in regard to your beloved. {s}

He's worth a nice, long prayer session, after all, yo? {g} So, go talk with God about how you can help Him love your beloved, together. Remember, as an orthodox Christian you are a servant of True Love Himself; no one else of another religion or belief in the world (including the Buddha, God's peace on him) can ultimately make that claim. But you can.

And True Love regards how your boy treats _you_, as counting for how your boy is treating _Him_. That's the principle of vicariousness. Notice that the charity of this means that the greater responsibility is on _you_, not on _him_ (though he has some, too.) But that's what True Love does for _all_ of us; so it is proper for us to do the same in our own small proportional ability, for those who don't yet know True Love themselves.

When we do this, we are striving with the Holy Spirit, not against Him. Which means, by our doing so, the people we love are also striving _with_ the Holy Spirit, not _against_ Him, when they love us, to whatever degree they love us.

So be of good hope, and be continually talking with God about how you can share the yoke with Him which He is already pulling for your beloved and of which He is always making room for you to work alongside Him.

God's hope to you, and to your beloved. {s}

Jason Pratt

[Tenshi no Ai]

Believe me when I say, I completely sympathize. {s}

Out of curiosity, did you both get together when she wasn't a Christian, or was it you that eventually became a Christian? Just thinking on that with how I know people in my own church who found someone, got married, and then one of them ended up finding Him. I can see that as having quite the challenges on its own, although I remember Paul suggesting in scripture to stay with that person, rather than get up and take off. Personally, even though he has a different mind and ideas on things, it is different, yes, but I'm not about to get up and leave. I feel that would be worse, actually, and be a form of giving up, really. Because... I don't know what the years to come have to offer. People don't just learn who He is over night and with the snap of a finger, understand. May take years... And I want to keep standing by his side the whole time...

It's interesting how he's come into my life too. At first yes, I felt quite wary on the whole situation and was unsure myself. But I chose not to give up. Interesting too, with how I'm the type who won't give up and also someone extremely tolerable and he turns out (like in my other topic) to be someone who is bi polar: something a little hard to deal with. I guess it's interesting how my personality type is able to put up with that too^^

[JasonPratt]

Out of curiosity, did you both get together when she wasn't a Christian, or was it you that eventually became a Christian?

I was already a Christian when I met her. Though in a way I had only been a Christian formally for about 40 days when I first met her. {s} A great story there, but alas not one I can tell at this time.

And although we were already friends for several years, she began dating someone else before I realized who she was, so to speak. I have done my best for eight years to encourage their relationship and not try to compete against it]Just thinking on that with how I know people in my own church who found someone, got married, and then one of them ended up finding Him. I can see that as having quite the challenges on its own, although I remember Paul suggesting in scripture to stay with that person, rather than get up and take off.[/QUOTE]

He also reassures his readers, in the same scripture, to _not_ be fretting over their non-Christian spouses, because God won't abandon them any more than He would treat their children as being unclean and unfit. Their salvation isn't up to us, but up to God. Trust God then, and love our spouse.

That being said, yeah obviously there are challenges. St. Paul had some things to say about _that_, too!--specifically that the believer being yoked that way would kill him or herself like an unequally yoked ox.

But then, on yet the _other_ hand, that is precisely the same analogy Christ Himself applies to Himself for _our_ sakes; and He calls us to take up that yoke/cross with Him. So it's more richly complex than scriptural prooftexting may make out.

Personally, even though he has a different mind and ideas on things, it is different, yes, but I'm not about to get up and leave. I feel that would be worse, actually, and be a form of giving up, really.

Quite so. Not that God doesn't allow us provision to do that, for sake of _our_ own weakness--and I gather that a woman actually has more leeway in that than a man does, because it's more important that she not be with a false husband--but ideally, no, we aren't supposed to give up. God doesn't quit on us, so we should try to go the distance, too, as well as we can. (Being omnipotent, He can just do it better. {g})

Because... I don't know what the years to come have to offer. People don't just learn who He is over night and with the snap of a finger, understand. May take years... And I want to keep standing by his side the whole time...

It's a tough, but special calling. So is being torn apart by wild dogs while being burned at the stake. {g!} God Himself got a severe beating, a Roman scourging, and a crucifixion out of it. Pray hard. {s}

It's interesting how he's come into my life too. At first yes, I felt quite wary on the whole situation and was unsure myself. But I chose not to give up. Interesting too, with how I'm the type who won't give up and also someone extremely tolerable and he turns out (like in my other topic) to be someone who is bi polar: something a little hard to deal with. I guess it's interesting how my personality type is able to put up with that too^^

Sounds like God has armed you pretty well, then! But then, when He does that, He usually expects us to go somewhere dangerous and get the poo kicked out of us trying to accomplish something. {g}

But if he's worth it, then he's worth it. {s}{bow!}

JRP