A strange dream
I’m biased, but I do think that we Brits produce some of the best television drama in the world. Bitterness nips me when, while out of the country, I try to log onto TV catch-up services online, only to be told that I’m not allowed. I pay my license fee, so there should be a way, and I’m angry… Sorry, end of rant.
Anyway, Kay and I had watched a series all the way in a mammoth binge-watching session, and had enjoyed it thoroughly. The series ended, and we heard that it was not going to be renewed. It’s strange when you mourn the loss of entirely fictional characters that you’ve never met, but once we knew that our time with their story was ended, we felt irrationally sad.
Some weeks later, back in America, I had a dream about the series. It included the principal character and one of the supporting actresses. I dreamed that she had died (in real life), and that he was heartbroken at the loss. In my dream, he gave a press statement paying tribute to her fine acting skills and said that she would be greatly missed. I woke up in a sweat. The dream had been vivid. Eventually getting back to sleep, I immediately dreamed the same dream. I woke up again, and then went back to sleep, and the same thing happened. Wide awake now at 3am, I wondered – what was all this about?
Wandering into my office, I sat down at my computer, googled that lead actor’s name, and pressed ‘news’. And that’s when everything got very strange indeed. An hour earlier, that actor had issued a press release about a colleague, saying how sad he was at the news of her passing. While I was dreaming that she died, she died. This was crazy. I sat staring at my computer screen for a very long time, wondering why on earth this had happened. I couldn’t believe that this was just a random coincidence. God had something to do with this. But what, and why?
I did what I usually do when I’m bewildered (which is often): I prayed. And it was then that a wild thought landed in my mind, seemingly out of nowhere, which is usually how I hear from God. ‘Make contact with that actor. And tell him that I love the people that he loves.’
What?
This was crazy. For one thing, I had no way of getting hold of this household name. And then the message that I was supposed to deliver was strange in itself – there was no overt mention of Jesus being the one who gives hope, no invitation to come to Christ, just this: ‘God loves the people that you love.’
I turned to Facebook, and searched for the actor’s ‘fan’ page, which can have unlimited subscribers. Unsurprisingly, he had millions – literally. There was no way I could make a meaningful connection through social media. I sat back in my chair, pondering. And then I remembered that a distant friend – one I had not seen for years – had some contact with this celebrity earlier in life, before he became famous. Perhaps he still had a connection.
I emailed him, and very quickly got a response. Not only were the two still connected, but they were getting together for a meal within a few days. This was getting very interesting indeed. With some hesitation, I emailed again, sharing the details of the dream, the timing of it, and the message that I felt was behind it. I added that I wasn’t asking for any personal contact with the celebrity in question – in fact, I wasn’t asking for anything, except for a message to be passed on. To my delight, my friend was willing to be the messenger.
A week went by. My email box chirped that I had a new message, and it was my distant friend. The two had got together. Details of the dream had been passed on. The actor’s response had been a stunned silence, and he’d asked my friend to pass on his heartfelt thanks.
What has all this led to? I have no idea. But I do know that God does odd things at times. That’s not a license for craziness, but when we feel nudged by the Holy Spirit, and careful consideration suggests that we are on track with being a part of something that God is up to, we need to get with His programme.
And the identity of that by now world famous celebrity? I promised back then that I would never reveal publicly who he is, and I intend to keep that pledge. Who knows? Perhaps God might trust me with another dream for someone else sometime.
As I look back over my Christian journey, I am grateful. I’m a stumbling soul, one who has had a spiritual stagger rather than a consistent walk. The fresh-faced teenaged convert that was me is no more, but the need to learn certainly remains.
These days, I have a life-purpose statement, a sentence that, for me, captures my reason for being alive. It’s deeply personal, but allow me to share it with you
‘Eager to be a good man rather than just live the good life, I will learn, laugh, and experience and share the loving kindness of Jesus, especially in my family.’
I’ve crafted that sentence, because this I know for sure: God is love, God is good, and God is faithful. Over the five or so decades that He and I have been ambling along together, He has surprised me by being kinder than I ever imagined He could be. Wherever you are in the Christian trek, or if you are still considering beginning a journey with Jesus, may that be your discovery too.