Dreams and Crossroads

No doubt you have had dreams and wondered what the underlying reasons were for having them.  Many of my dreams seemed real, as if the substance of each dream was coming directly from the realm of reality, which, at times, were disturbing and a bit frightening…bad dreams.

Dreams give me pause to try and figure out what they are saying to me, personally, especially the ones that repeat themselves in various scenarios.  Many of them have elements that seldom vary in content and have the same, common denominator message.

I looked up the word, floundering, to perhaps use it in this writing.  The definition, shockingly, brought back memories of past dreams that I had before becoming a Christian.

In these dreams, my feet would bog down when trying to run as if they were stuck in thick, gooey mud that was holding me fast.  Most of the time I perceived that someone was chasing me, and I didn’t know who or why they were doing so.

In my efforts to flee, I felt a bit of comfort, in that my pursuer never caught up with me even though I was floundering when trying to run.  As I now ponder these thought-provoking dreams, I wonder if the one pursuing me was the Holy Spirit.

I was certainly determined to run in the opposite direction and get away from whomever it was.  I had no interest in finding out who they were, because my focus was on getting away from this assailant or stocker.

If it was the Holy Spirit behind me, the mud I was stuck in must have represented sins that were restraining me and controlling my every move. 

In the real world, where the rubber meets the road, my drive for enjoyment was top priority before I became a Believer.  My wayward lifestyle consisted of things that brought hurtful regrets, which caused frustration and pain.  I was on the wide road to destruction, which was a filthy, muddy avenue that I traveled.

When I was a teenager, I believe that God sent a godly man my way to tell me that if I chose the straight and narrow path, instead of journeying on the road I was on, it would lead toward heaven and provide real purpose and meaning to my unfulfilled existence.

(Ezekiel 34:11), “For thus says the Lord God: ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.’ ”

One day, an unusual circumstance happened that brought me to a crossroads where I was faced with a life-changing decision that needed to be addressed.  Was this the path that the man was talking about so many years ago?

(Psalm 139:7,8), “Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?”  (v 8) “If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.”   

At this crossroads, I weighed my options and contemplated which way to go.  I wondered if this new direction could really be the answer to escaping the heavy burdens that were impacting me in negative ways. 

I was in my mid-twenties and finally ready to submit to the narrative that kept resonating in my mind of what the man shared.  His voice was encouraging me to make a change from the way I was headed and take the detour to an abundant life in Jesus.

No doubt it was the Holy Spirit bringing his message back to me.  Living was certainly too confusing and unpredictable on the road I was on.  I needed help.

The same person told me that happiness was just a prayer away, and all I had to do was make the decision and turn from my wicked ways.  He said that peace would be mine on the straight and narrow path that led away from the road I had been traveling.  He then shared the following scripture with me.

(Matthew 6:33), “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

I was running from God and tired of the unrest I was stuck in.  The Holy Spirit was urging me to detour from sin that brought confusion, but the choice was mine to make.

I am thankful that I chose to reroute and exit the road that was familiar to me and take the path toward heaven where real contentment would be mine all the days of my life.

God is sovereign, yet He gives us freewill to choose.  He does not horsewhip us into submission to serve Him, but lovingly draws us to Himself through the wooing of the Holy spirit.  God, in love, presents a better way to live by placing crossroads in our pathway that lead away from the wide road to destruction, away from the weary journey that entangles us in sin.

I received total liberty when God forgave my sins.  At the very moment I accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, peace began to flow like a river through my entire being.  I was finally free from the bondage that I had suffered with for so long.

God gave me new life when I made the turn and invited Jesus into my heart.  Liberty to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth is now mine, because God loved me so much that He gave His only Son to die on a cross for my sins.  This act of love also included you.

Written by,

Papa Boyd