Back in April 2018 whilst on holiday I was woken up rather shaken from the following dream. I was literally shaking from an overwhelming need to address the dream and understand what it was saying. It was one of those dreams where I participated and observed within the dream.
Ever since having it I often see connections to the dream and what I believe it is saying to me and possibly the church. Like I’ve said in previous posts I believe more often than not dreams are about the dreamer and what is happening inwardly for the person dreaming and it usually involves matters of the heart.
I was with lots of other people facing an enemy. We were trying to escape from this enemy. We tried to go one way. They were there to catch us. We went the other way and they blocked us in.
This action took place in an underground corridor like that of a hospital or a school*. The enemy were recognisable people. At one point they felt like slave drivers. It felt like we were being herded to doom, defeat or death.
We were all being herded like animals along the corridor where we couldn’t escape. It was dark and we seemed to be going down. There was a strong sense of despair.
Sometime in this march of despair large hands appeared from the heavens with a selection of four watches. There was a silver one and a gold one. I had a sense I needed to take one. I chose the small, narrow gold one to wear.
In this march in the gloom with the people who were being herded. I noticed someone I knew who needed help in going along. It was Rosemary. She seemed to be blind. I helped guide her.
All of a sudden a man walked by and opened a glass door and went out of the corridor. I was shocked and surprised he could get out. I then saw Rosemary again. I had been separated from her in my surprise at seeing the man, I had stopped in my tracks. She had wandered into water. (This bit here reminded me of the underground world in The Silver Chair story by C.S. Lewis). As she wandered into the water she turned and looked and saw me as I saw her. A look of recognition came upon her. She could see again!
The people and I continued with disbelief that finally we could escape and get out of this underground corridor world. The feeling was a strong feeling. Each of the feelings as the dream progressed were very intense. I had realised because the man had shown us the way, I could also show the way out.
There was a general feeling at first that there was no way out for any of us then all of a sudden seeing this guy go through a door and then realising that he had, hope came!
I passed the message on and then everyone began to realise. It was a feeling that this message was for everyone, not just for me. A very strong corporate feeling, first of despair that we were going to our doom, then of disbelief that we could get out of the darkness into the light, to the upper, real world. This was real hope. It had been a long time trapped in this underground world. Then freedom came as we passed out from the dark corridor into the light of the world above ground.
(*On recent reflection I was struggling for words to describe the corridor place. I can now better describe it as prison. This will make more sense in a another blog to follow).
Galatians 5:1 (LEB): For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Logos 8 Bible software
Romans 8:15,21 (LEB): For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!”….that the creation itself also will be set free from its servility to decay, into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Logos 8 Bible software
This dream has been my most striking dream yet. It struck me then and does still now as a metanarrative:
‘…an overarching account or interpretation of events and circumstances that provides a pattern or structure for people’s beliefs and gives meaning to their experiences.‘
Google Chrome Oxford dictionary
To be continued – see Freedom dream part 2