I Have A Dream

I have a dream.

I get off to very rough months and moves. Crushed. Discouraged. Confused. Then one day I see 1 Peter 5:10 written on the wall. Before the Lord settles me, He refines me through the fire.

Even more, He shows that no earthly location, relationship, or possession is permanent. I must instead be established and settled in Him. He’s moving me on.

I open my face to the sky to feel the air. I’m touching another land to serve Him. Just another chapter of what God has been doing through me over the years. That is, for the nations.

Things enchant me about God’s new assignment. Shadows of trees beyond the snow. Houses made of bricks and red tile roofs. Streets washed clean by autumn rains. Silence in the mountains.

I see a vision of the Only One. I have total faith in Him. No second thoughts about distance, about sacrifice, about strange language and culture, or about what will be left behind. He calls. I just respond.

I forgive all the discomforts. I wrap myself with thick jackets and layers of socks without getting warm. I wander through busy streets and subways. All along, wishing everybody speaks my tongue. I endure some longings inside my heart.

Over time, the strangeness and newness wear off. Flowers wilt. Empty windows. Faceless walls. I listen to quiet sounds bouncing off the cool prayer mountains. I hug myself inside my coat.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the illusion breaks. It becomes an enemy to the vision of the One who calls. Oh, I wonder what people mean by “love-hate relationship.” Again, I’m crushing and molding pieces. To form an image – a true, lasting one this time.

Lastly, in my dream, I see multi-colored natives. They’ve become established and settled. I witness great numbers of souls come to Him. With a shudder, I began to understand God’s mysterious ways. And long to be home, finally.

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10).