A Dream

February 19, 2021 by  
Filed under Faith, Faith Articles

By DiAne Gates –

SCRIPTURE: “How precious are Thou thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with Thee” (Psalm 139:17-18 NAS).

A dream. A realistic dream. A dream that remains alive and vivid hours later. A week later. What about you? Ever had such a dream? Did you dismiss it? Miss it? Or forget about it?

In the early hours of last Tuesday morning, I had such a dream. I’ve never put much stock in dreams. But this one—so lifelike, so clear, so intense.

Monday night I went to bed mulling over a problem and the dream opened with me telling two men about my problem. One, a dear friend, the other the pastor of the church where I grew up—Dr. Homer Lindsay, Sr.

I finished stating my problem. Dr. Lindsay got up out of his chair, came over, and put his arm around me. He leaned close to my ear and said, “DiAne, you remember Jeremiah 29:11, don’t you?”

I replied, “Yes sir.” And we quoted it in unison, his voice recognizable and intelligible. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

The dream ended, my eyes flashed open, and a sense of comfort and hope that only God can give wrapped around me and carried me through the morning with a renewed sense of security and joy.

Until four A.M. the following morning when my husband woke me. “DiAne.” He spoke in a voice I’ve come to understand means trouble. “We have a problem. It’s my heart. I want you to drive me to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.”

We were in Longview, Texas—two hours away from Dallas and Presbyterian Hospital.

I sprang from the covers and pulled on yesterday’s jeans and a shirt. “O Lord!” my mind raced and my heart quaked. “What’s he thinking? I can’t drive two hours with him. In the car. About to have a heart attack.”

Another thought zipped through my mind. Look at his color. I turned on the light and looked at his face. His color was good. Warm. Not the pasty gray of a heart attack. Immediately the dream of the previous night flashed across my consciousness and the peace of God took control of my terrified heart and I heard—drive him to Presbyterian in Dallas.

We made the drive in record time. And for the next thirty-six hours, the medical staff at Presbyterian Dallas accomplished the necessary tests to confirm that my husband did not and was not having a heart attack. His previous bypasses and stints were unchanged and blood was coursing through his arteries as it should be.

For once in my life, I rested in the promise God confirmed to me the night before all this transpired, and reminded Him of that promise during that two-hour drive Wednesday morning. I traveled through those thirty-six hours at peace with the knowledge God was in control—not me.

Almost a week has passed and I paused this morning to contemplate how many times I’ve missed or dismissed God’s instructions and warnings. Choosing instead to race ahead of the stresses and strains of life. Always running. Refusing to be still. Neglecting to rest in Him.

Father in Heaven, help me remember. Remember to listen and heed your Word and Your warnings. Remember that You are the same yesterday, today and forever. And remember that You think of me—all the time.

About Diane Gates

DiAne writes and illustrates for children, leads a writer’s group for North Texas Christian Writers, and facilitates GriefShare recovery groups. Her books include Arnold The An Who Wouldn’t Be An Ant, won first place in the Children’s Division at North Texas Christian Writers Conference in 2010, and Roped,a middle grade novel, won first place in the Children’s Division at North Texas Christian Writers Conference in 2011. A devotional article also won second place award at the 2011 NTCW Conference. A devotional series entitled The Master’s Plan is a WIP, and a devotional will appear in The Secret Place in 2012. http://dianegates.wordpress.com/ Moving the Ancient Boundaries
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Comments

4 Responses to “A Dream”
  1. Mary Caffrey says:

    I’m glad God was your EMT on your POV ride to the hospital and your husband is A-OK.

    On the other hand, I’ve called the rescue unit a few times in my life, and never regretted not having a policeman there in seconds, the unit a few minutes later, and loved ones in the hands of angels in fire department uniforms, trained in helping stabilize patients all the way to the ER.

    I had a wild ride in a unit myself once, breathing like winded Olympian, thankful my husband wasn’t behind the wheel, me struggling between praying we didn’t have an accident on the road and me dying before we reached the hospital.

    In any case, the lessons I glean from all this are two: keep your insurance current and let the experts do their job.

    • DiAne Gates says:

      Mary, thank you for your comments and trust me, I’d rather we had gone in the ambulance too. But, husbands. What can I say? I’m so grateful that God’s mercy and grace is deep and wide enough to cover not only sins but our stupidity.

      DiAne

    • Our Lord has truely provided you a gift from Heaven above. Your words convey a peace and assurance that only God yields when you are willing to totally trust in Him. I pray that Our Lord, Jesus will continue to bless you, your husband and family as you spred these inspiring messages to your readers.

  2. What’s wrong with my reply to DiAne’s “A Dream” article? Still Under Moderation?

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