Dreams and Visions

I had this significant dream right before I wrote The Path: Creating Your Mission for Work and for Life.

In this dream I saw a poised and quiet woman standing by a turquoise pool. She was wearing a long white flowing robe and was barefoot. The setting was full of pink sunset clouds and white pillars, much like a Maxfield Parrish painting. As I watched her I noticed that she was looking down at a number of fish which were flopping around at her feet. She reached down, and began picking them up one at a time and putting them back in the water. She was very gentle as she did this, being careful not to damage their scales. The fish made a happy swishing noise and then swam away.

I said, “Lord, I want to be that woman!” I heard a voice say, “You will be,” just as I awoke.  

The fish out of water symbolized people who are literally gasping for breath, like so many people who are out of their element. If they only knew what God created them to do, they could get back to being productive and happy.  I desperately wanted the satisfaction of being able to help return the fish to water.

I noticed that the woman in the dream had no shoes, meaning she was vulnerable, and that she was not kicking the fish back into the water, although that might have seemed like the fastest and easiest thing to do. As I work with people now, and see the joy on their faces as suddenly the meaning and context of their mission in life becomes clear, I am reminded of that dream, and I know I am doing the right thing.

Dreams are an important way of hearing the voice of God. In scripture we learn that dreams and visions were sometimes viewed as being one and the same.

How are you hearing the ‘voice above the noise?’  Where are your dreams and visions taking you?  Have we forgotten how to dream?  Is courage calling you?