| The Lord speaks to us in many ways, through | | | | example, reading the whole Communion with God |
| prayer, messages from other people, and, of | | | | book; taking the three-month Communion with |
| course, the Scriptures. The Bible also shows us | | | | God course with Christian Leadership University |
| that the Lord sometimes speaks to us through | | | | and having me as a mentor; purchasing the |
| dreams. Below is an exchange I had with a | | | | videos which were made; purchasing the |
| student about a dream he had. | | | | cassettes of me teaching the entire course; |
| An Example of Helping a Person Interpret Their | | | | purchasing the CWG Teacher’s Guide; getting |
| Dream | | | | a couple of spiritual counselors in your church or |
| Mike is a student who asked me about a dream | | | | area who are right-brain and sharing your |
| he had. I am an instructor at a Online Bible College. | | | | journaling with them and having them cover it, |
| One of the focuses of the Christian education at | | | | etc. |
| the college is learning to listen when God speaks. | | | | “Don’t be concerned that the person in |
| So, when Mike had a particularly vivid and | | | | your dream died a year ago. People in our dreams |
| impactful dream, he asked me about the dream. | | | | most often are part of ourselves. The way we |
| The dream as Mike sent it to me: “Here it | | | | discover what part is to ask, “What is the |
| goes: The school bus was coming to my home | | | | dominant characteristic of the person?” Then, |
| when I was in high school. I was running late and | | | | it is usually that part of ourselves we are |
| saw the bus coming and was running towards it | | | | dreaming about. The dream is not about you |
| and I saw my father-in-law (Fred) get on the bus | | | | dying.” |
| and before I could get on, just before I reached | | | | Mike’s second letter: “Thank you, Mark, |
| it, it left. I was a bit upset that he didn’t wait | | | | for responding. To be honest, it was not what I |
| for me. I tried to look to see if it was George | | | | expected. It sounds good but I have this big |
| driving the bus and thought it was. (George and I | | | | question...why was my father-in-law in this dream |
| talked once in awhile and he was the actual bus | | | | and why was it so evident that he was in it? He |
| driver when I was in high school.) | | | | must have something to do with the dream?” |
| “But soon after, I saw another school bus | | | | My second response: “When you think of |
| coming and knew it was going to the public school | | | | your father-in-law, Fred, what is the most |
| in the same town and asked the lady if I could | | | | dominant characteristic of him? That is your key. |
| take it and she said yes. So I got on. Don’t | | | | Once you identify that characteristic, you are |
| remember any of the ride. Next I remember | | | | then talking about that part of yourself. Your |
| talking to my father-in-law and asking him why | | | | heart is drawing pictures (like Bible Pictionary - if |
| George left me and didn’t wait. He gave me | | | | you have ever played it), to communicate a |
| a mumbled answer which didn’t make sense | | | | message to you. |
| and which I can’t remember at all now. | | | | “Whatever part of you that Fred is |
| “And that was the dream. One thing that | | | | representing, that part of you is OK with the |
| really concerns me is that my father-in-law died | | | | message of CWG and is getting along with it and |
| this past December of cancer at the age of | | | | on time (as evidenced by the fact that he got on |
| 61.” | | | | the bus OK). Some other part of you is struggling |
| My first response: “I’ll be glad to offer a | | | | with the message of CWG, being afraid you are |
| few questions and suggestions for you to | | | | not getting it all. |
| consider. | | | | “Any chance that Fred is a ‘heart’ |
| “The symbols in the dream include: | | | | kind of a guy as opposed to a ‘head’ kind |
| * school = place where we are educated and | | | | of a guy? |
| learn | | | | “My guess is that your heart is fine with the |
| * bus = transportation to the place of learning | | | | CWG message but your left-hemisphere is afraid |
| * being left behind = fear of being left behind | | | | that it hasn’t got all the pieces yet (which is |
| “So the question you would ask yourself is, | | | | true - it hasn’t). However, as I mentioned |
| ‘In what sense am I being educated at this | | | | earlier, your head doesn’t need to get all the |
| time in my life, and am I afraid I am going to be | | | | pieces in my four mornings of teaching you, |
| left behind?’ | | | | because I have provided books and cassettes |
| “I suspect the answer is that you are being | | | | and videos which you can take home and study in |
| educated in the area of communion with God, and | | | | detail. |
| that there is a part of you that is afraid that you | | | | “My guess is that your left-hemisphere (your |
| are being left behind (i.e., not going to get it all). | | | | analytical reasoning brain) is uptight, but that your |
| You actually expressed exactly that fear in class. | | | | heart (as perhaps represented by an ‘easy |
| I assume it is that fear in your heart which was | | | | going Fred’) is fine with the message of |
| expressed in your dream. | | | | Communion with God. |
| “However, God showed you in the dream | | | | “What do you think?” |
| that there was hope. Another bus came along | | | | Mike’s final response: “Mark. Wow. |
| and took you to school. So you do not need to | | | | That’s exactly how he was. Easy going. Laid |
| fear missing some parts of the teaching the first | | | | back. |
| time around. There is another way to get it. For | | | | |