dream
I'd like to share a vivid dream I've had several times,
over many years in different variations.
over many years in different variations.
It seems to be set in a time before professional firemen were around, when towns folk would come to the aid and rescue of a neighbour who's house was on fire.
It's night time, but I can see quite clearly because of the light from the blaze. The fire is raging, coming out from the roof and some of the windows of one of the houses in the street, I can see quite clearly the panic on every face,
and I can hear screaming coming from inside the house.
There are people rushing around in every direction, some are shouting out orders, others are crying out
that their loved ones are inside.
and I can hear screaming coming from inside the house.
There are people rushing around in every direction, some are shouting out orders, others are crying out
that their loved ones are inside.
There is now a chain of people frantically passing buckets of water along a line from one person to the next, the person nearest to the fire is throwing bucket after bucket
onto the flames.
I'm very young, maybe three or four years old, I'm being pushed in different directions as people hurry by trying to get somewhere quickly, I know I can't help, I'm too small,
all I can do is keep out of the way.
I'm sad because the whole town is in anguish, faces are distorted with pain because of those inside they can't rescue.
A very bad thought comes to me, that even though no one is giving up, clearly they must know they are losing the battle, the fire has taken hold and the water is having little effect.
In desperation and confusion I imagine, someone pushes
what seems like a huge bucket into my chest and says
"get some water".
I wasn't even sure where the water was,
and I could hardly carry an empty bucket, let alone a full one.
This was a very bad night.
It's at this point that the dream goes a bit weird like dreams do,
because for some reason I knew what a 21st century fire hydrant is and looks like, and there it was just around the corner, clear as day, with a full hose reel included, ready to go.
Almost as if it had been left there by someone,
with this night in mind!
All I had to do was tell the towns folk
this amazing good news.
Maybe you can imagine what happens next,
because I'd never learned to speak, and no matter
how much I tried to point and make myself understood,
these folk were so involved in what they were doing
they never did find the hydrant.
And that's about the time I'd wake up, sweating usually.
The Lord made it perfectly clear to me
The towns folk are the Bride of Christ,
the occupants of the house is everyone else,
the hydrant is His free gift of the power of our oneness in Christ that He has left here for us, specifically for this day.
onto the flames.
I'm very young, maybe three or four years old, I'm being pushed in different directions as people hurry by trying to get somewhere quickly, I know I can't help, I'm too small,
all I can do is keep out of the way.
I'm sad because the whole town is in anguish, faces are distorted with pain because of those inside they can't rescue.
A very bad thought comes to me, that even though no one is giving up, clearly they must know they are losing the battle, the fire has taken hold and the water is having little effect.
In desperation and confusion I imagine, someone pushes
what seems like a huge bucket into my chest and says
"get some water".
I wasn't even sure where the water was,
and I could hardly carry an empty bucket, let alone a full one.
This was a very bad night.
It's at this point that the dream goes a bit weird like dreams do,
because for some reason I knew what a 21st century fire hydrant is and looks like, and there it was just around the corner, clear as day, with a full hose reel included, ready to go.
Almost as if it had been left there by someone,
with this night in mind!
All I had to do was tell the towns folk
this amazing good news.
Maybe you can imagine what happens next,
because I'd never learned to speak, and no matter
how much I tried to point and make myself understood,
these folk were so involved in what they were doing
they never did find the hydrant.
And that's about the time I'd wake up, sweating usually.
The Lord made it perfectly clear to me
The towns folk are the Bride of Christ,
the occupants of the house is everyone else,
the hydrant is His free gift of the power of our oneness in Christ that He has left here for us, specifically for this day.