Dream of Travel – Passports and Cameras

Finally a new travel dream. WHI HOO!

I dreamed that I needed to get a passport. I had a ticket leaving in a few days and I needed to go down the passport office and get an emergency one.

I got there and I didn’t have any money, passport photos, I hadn’t even filled out the paperwork. I remembered someone telling me that you have to line up at 3 a.m. to see if you get on the first list to get in to possibly get your passport. I didn’t show up until the late morning. But I walked right in.

I kept telling everyone that I didn’t have anything ready to get a passport. But the minute I said I needed something it appeared. It was exactly what I needed in the moment that I needed it. There were no lines. I just walked right up to the window. I left with my passport in a few minutes. I was ready to go.

Then in the next scene of my dream I was in Paris with three friends. We were having a great time, until I realized my camera was missing. I started searching for it everywhere and it was just gone. I had just seen it but now it wasn’t anywhere to be found.

I found a bunch of things I didn’t want, but not one of the most important things I needed to enjoy my trip. I started sobbing and woke up.

Alright, this is what the Dreammoods Dictionary says:

1. Passport – To see a passport in your dream, signifies your identity and your ability to traverse various situations. You may going through a period of finding yourself and discovering who you are. Interesting, the therapy is paying off. Whi hoo!

2. Camera – To see a camera in your dream, signifies your desires to cling on and/or live in the past. Alternatively, it may represent your need to focus on a particular situation. Perhaps you need to get a clearer picture or idea. So to lose the camera, means I have let go of the past? This actually makes sense given a conversation I’d had earlier in the day. It’s hard to say goodbye to the past. But it is often for the best. I’m sure there are many cliches and trite statements about letting go and moving on, but I can’t think of them right now.

Filed under: Dreaming , , identity, journey, past, self discovery, therapy

Signs, Wonders and Souls

A friend who attends a local Vineyard church invited us to a special conference this weekend entitled, “Signs, Wonders and Souls.”

I attend a Baptist church so we don’t have many signs and wonders happening in our midst so I agreed to go. I wasn’t even really sure what the conference was about, the description was really vague. But, I like to walk on the “wild side” spiritually on occassion and shock my system back to life. This is especially appealing right now since I feel a bit spiritually dry.

I knew there would be speaking in tongues. I knew there would be a little dancing. I knew there would very loud prayers. I went expecting to be in God’s presence.

I was not disappointed. The flow of a pentecostal service is so different. They will sing the same song for 20 minutes and feel no obligation to time. There are long periods of instrumental music where many around the room will shout their prayers, speak in tongues, sing, or clap. I was silent. The sounds of praise like that are beautiful to me. It was great. It’s chaotic. It’s not perfect. It isn’t supposed to be. Somehow there is a freedom in that, sometimes.

As usual, it took me a minute to get all of the random thoughts out of my head to enter into a space of reverence. But it was a peaceful, joyful feeling to just listen. It was their belief that helped me let go. It was their freedom that rubbed off a little.

The content of the conference wasn’t what I expected but afterwards they had a time of prayer. This is a no-holds barred, Jesus is in the building, come forward to hear from him prayer. They know God is going to move, that he is in the healing, miracle, prayer answering business. They believe he’s going to do something. They are ready to receive from him. It wasn’t stereotypical but faithful. It wasn’t cheesy but reverent and operated in the full knowledge of who God is and what he promises for those who believe.

I don’t always live like that, able to enter into his presence with abandon. There are times when my heart doubts, where he feels far away, when I wonder if he cares or is listening at all. I end up trying to maintain control and live in what I know. I am very cerebral. That is my downfall. I don’t look for signs or wonders. So what do I miss out on?

I wanted to go forward for prayer tonight but I didn’t. I was afraid. Plain and simple. It’s more of the vulnerability and afraid of what people will think. That’s what I miss out on.

Filed under: Spiritual Formation