Dreams And Greens

"Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, ¹⁰ which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe." Ezekiel 2:9,10

"And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel." ² So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

³ Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth." Ezekiel 3:1-3

Over the last several months, I've had a bit of a recurring theme with some dreams. The first dream was before Christmas even, and it was a dream that I walked out to the garden when it should have been dead and gone, yet there it was, loaded with lettuce and ripe tomatoes- a garden in full bloom, while everything else around it was in the throes of winter death. I woke from that dream and my heart leaped for joy. Andy's lay-off time was coming, and I understood that dream to mean that we would find provision through the winter months when he wasn't working.

Then I had another dream sometime in January. I had a dream that we decided to go camping with friends in the middle of winter. On the way to out campground we took a detour and came upon a garden, full of lush produce. We could help ourselves to as many tomatoes as we could carry, and we could fill our baskets with carrots and lettuce, and it was such a wonderful thing to behold in the middle of winter. We all found such joy in this garden that we'd found. Again, I woke from this dream, and I saw provision, I felt like God was reminding me that we had us under His protection and that we were going to be okay. It also made me smile that in the dream we brought along our closest friends, and I prayed heartily that God would honor that dream and provide for our friends as well.

But then the other day I had a third dream, and I have to say that it's making me think on the dreams as a whole. And while they may have meant one thing, at the time they were signs of encouragement for the provision to come, I think that now, they may have also meant an entirely different thing to come. This doesn't mean my original interpretations were incorrect, but it is very,very interesting to see how God can bring to mind dreams of the past and give them a whole new meaning.

In this third dream, we were living in a house with yellow walls. It was winter outside, and we had family visiting us. We were all getting ready to sit down to dinner, which I was preparing, when I opened up my Bible and found salad greens in it. We ate the salad greens for dinner as a salad, although there was family who refused to eat the greens from my Bible, and all of us who partook were filled with joy and were amazed at the miracle which God had provided for us.

Let me first say that the family refusing to eat the greens did have meaning, which I won't go into, but I will say that the matter has been under considerable prayer, and I will continue to do so with urgency.

But those salad greens coming out of the Bible. Again, my first thought on waking and thinking on the dream was of the provision that God has been doing all along, and I shared this with Andy, and we went about our day (yesterday.) And then right smack dab in the middle of worship it came to me that my dream was so much more than just provision. It was an opportunity and a season coming. And I was instantly reminded of these verses above in Ezekiel about the scroll. And I'll admit, that a complete meaning and understanding is escaping me, but I do know this: the scroll in this instance is the living, breathing Word of God. And I think this is to mean a whole new manner of digesting God's Word, a season of intense hunger for His Word and taking it in as much as I possibly can. That as I open up His Word, it is going to overflow, and I am going to take it in, and it is going to fill me.

And yet, there is also a choice there. Because I can choose to eat of God's Word, or I can choose to let it pass me by. Let's talk about eating. Eating is necessary, it's how we take food in, which nourishes and sustains our physical bodies. In addition, it helps sustain our spirits, because when we are not taking in the right nutrients, systems get wacky and our emotions can be affected. Eating is necessary for life. Yet, it is also a choice what we put in our mouths. Do I eat that slice of chocolate cake for breakfast? Or do I opt for the bowl of oatmeal with raisins. Do I snack on candy and ice cream all day long, or do I reach for the apples or a handful of almonds. If I eat junk, my body will react accordingly, sickness will be rampant, my energy will wane, and I open myself up to all sort of who-knows-what. But by maintaining a healthy diet, I keep my body in working order and in check.

Wow. I've mentioned before that I've been fasting from reading fiction. And I'll readily admit that I miss it. The only fiction I've been reading is while I sit at Abigail's dance class one night a week. Other than that, if I am in the mood to read, I've been reading the Bible, and I've been learning so much, and I'm still eager for more. And I've been looking forward to reaching the end of my Bible reading so that I can really dive back into some great books... but I'm thinking that this also serves as a warning, that I need to watch what I'm reading. And just like with food, a sweet treat or dessert is okay every once in a while, but as the main course all the time, my spiritual side will suffer and will not be able to resist the attacks of the enemy.

All this from a few dreams about lettuce. God truly does speak in mysterious ways! Sometimes God's Word is sweet and wonderful and full of joy, and sometimes the Truth that is God's Word is bitter and harsh, and sits in the stomach like lead. Yet it is the truth, and I need to take in the good with the not-so-good.

"Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."

⁹So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." ¹⁰I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. ¹¹Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings." Revelation 10:8-11