The Bible is full of stories that describe how God has communicated
with people through dreams. Notable dreamers in the Bible include Jacob, Joseph
the son of Jacob, Daniel, Jesus’ earthly father Joseph, the three magi, and
Pilate’s wife. Today, we who live in the “Information Age” generally do not include
dreams as one of our primary sources of knowledge. That’s unfortunate, because as
Srs. Emily Meisel and Jeanne Ranek note in their seminar “Dream Work on the
Spiritual Journey,” dreams are a powerful avenue of the communication of wisdom
and are one way God seeks to help us achieve healing, growth, wholeness, and
balance.
About two weeks ago, the thought crossed my mind that I should
arrange a visit with my aunt and cousins from my mom’s side of the family (the
Will family) before I enter the novitiate, but I haven’t contacted them yet. Then
last night I dreamed that my dad, who was very devoted to family, was going away
for a long period and was coming for a visit before he left. I turned the porch
light on but I saw him go into the house next door, where my mom’s family was
gathered. I heard someone say that he only had time to visit one side of the
family, and he chose to visit the Wills. It appears my dream was encouraging me
to follow my Dad’s example—and so I “will”!
I suspect I’ll be gifted with more dreams in the coming year
and look forward to decoding the messages they provide. As Srs. Emily and
Jeanne said, the God who lives in us is a dream maker and has endless
imagination and dreams for our healing and our growth. We need to do our part
by being receptive, writing down any dreams we remember, and making them part
of our lectio practice.
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