Follow the Holy Spirit; Skip the Detour!

It’s been a while since I’ve had a dream that I could recall. Last night even I only remember bits and pieces but I dreamt that a friend and I were awaiting to have our babies (in real life, she just discovered she too is pregnant). For some reason I prepared for labor but never experienced contractions. As I told others that I’m not having contractions they continued to busy themselves with the preparation. My friend brought over some midwives she knew and I began interviewing them. They began giving me demands before they would accept me as their patient – one saying I needed to change the color of my walls. I didn’t end up having the baby and I sent everyone away but this dream got me thinking…

How many things do we do prematurely, without logical reasoning, or under the expectation of those around us? Rather shouldn’t we do what is relevantly and vitally important? When viewing a task at hand I seem to always look too deeply into the big picture or not deep enough. This just goes to show how very lost I really am without following the lead of the Holy Spirit.

How often have I too, though irrelevant to the call that God has placed on my life, felt the need to do this one thing “over here” first. I’ll even talk myself into thinking that these detours will actually benefit the path God has me on! All it’s done is postpone where I want to be and waste precious moments. And quite frankly has been deliberate disobedience and disregard for what God has told me to do.

What would I do if it were my children. I think of when I ask my daughters to get their shoes or to come to me and they’ll detour to grab a toy first or take their time rather than a make haste with a spirit of obedience; a desire to please me and do the right thing that also brings sweet rewards. How can I expect that of them if I don’t first change it within myself?

Lord I pray that in my day-to-day living, I will truly surrender what I want, what I am used to, what I prefer, and what I seem not to have time for. I pray that You would help me to adjust my mental attitude to match my heart attitude. I pray that I’d continue to change to match Christ’s model of obedience; that when the “hour” arrives, I’ll submit to those in authority over me in obedience to You as Jesus did. I pray I will allow myself to be acted upon and trust in the plan You have for me. I pray that I would mirror Christ and not merely resign to Your will nor passively accept it but be active in the response of obedience to your awesome plan. No power on earth has it’s power without first being given it from You. No matter what inappropriate leadership over me there might be, I pray I will recognize the position You’ve called me to and that I’d fill it well. I pray I will not allow my “rights” to escape a situation You would have me in just as Jesus did not use His divine power to do so. I pray I would stand fast in that hour and stand firm in my obedience to You. May I hand myself totally over, depending solely on Your steadfastness. I strive to become powerless, weak, and vulnerable in myself in order to achieve power, strength, and confidence in You. May my focus be on Your path and not my own. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

An Unofficial Update

13 weeks along:

Before my official update, I just wanted to let you all know that I now have had yet another celebrity dream… haha. All of Saturday night, I was tossing and turning with dreams all night about Brittany Spears and a guy I grew up with and a lot of other things just jumbled up.

Then again the following night I had a dream that I think was directly resulting from a conversation dh and I had earlier the day before about sledding. He and I were snowmobiliing on a trail that felt more like a rollercoaster. It was dark and kind of eery but fun at the same time… I even felt those same butterfly and nervous feelings you do while going up the track on a rollercoaster. We then switched to a huge round sled that we were both lying on and were going off the trail and sliding all over the place. It was really fun in my dream and I experienced no fear… just comfort in the arms of dh.

So weird.

A Friendly Alligator…

12 weeks along:

Yet another dream last night… this time about a friendly alligator???

I was standing on some sort of dock and was fishing for this very large water creature, that appeared to be a eel-like fish, but ended up feeding it to an alligator and becoming well acquainted with it. As it tried to come close and cozy with me, it gave me a big toothy grin and others told me this creature from Lake Placid (yep… yet another “celebrity”) was a dangerous one. I was trying to protect the alligator and defend it saying he was friendly and shouldn’t be feared.

Wow… pregnancy hormones really take you in a dozen directions. haha

Running from the lead singer of U2???

Yes, that’s right. Yet another strange dream last night and this time it was with the lead singer of U2 as well as 3 other men who were trying to hurt a young boy whom I was in charge of protecting.

All I really remember was us running through Wal*Mart aisles and children joining the U2 crew to catch us. Before I woke up, our main guru caught up to us… not sure what would have happened had I not woken up.

Okay, Lord… what does that mean?? haha!

A Strange Dream

11 weeks along:

I had an odd dream last night… one of many that I’ve had so far. Mariska Hargitay was in it… not sure why… but she was pregnant with me and we went to a fair that focused solely on pregnant Moms. They talked about fascinating things, most of which I don’t recall but some having to do with pro-life issues and caring for the life of a child from day one.

All of a sudden, I realize that I’ve left my two younger daughters home alone! I frantically run to find my car and I can’t find my keys along the way (I usually put them on the belt loop of my jeans but they were not there). By the grace of God I find them on a rock and jump over the rocks with Mariska.

Through all this, worries of strangers entering my home to take my crying children, or getting my children taken away from me for neglect, I finally make it home to them and my older daughter cries “I thought you weren’t coming back” as we all were in a huddled embrace.

I awoke shortly after that but the image of my daughters face still aches my heart. I have heard of women having these dreams during pregnancy and supposedly it shares the insecurity of being unable to care for one’s children. Perhaps that is the subconscious fear I have… but I know that through Christ Jesus, I can do all things! I will stand on that promise to triumph over the fears that my flesh long to fret over.

Praise You Lord for the promises You give us to stand on and prove You true through. You are awesome! Thank You and praise You in Jesus’ name! Amen!