"Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand."

Proverbs 19:21

Friday, December 9, 2011

dreams

I have recurring dreams. Several of them. I frequently dream that I'm at the bottom of the ocean. My lungs are about to burst and I put my hands over my mouth and, in desperation, take a slow deep breath. Much to my surprise, I can breathe under water as long as my hands are over my mouth. That's all I can ever remember. I've always wondered what happens next.

As a child I would frequently dream that I was being chased by a stranger. I run and run and then finally get into a car to drive away. Only I don't know how to drive because I'm about 7 years old... and the inside of the car looks more like the cockpit of an airplane. Lots of knobs, meters, and dials. And that's all I ever remember. I've been having this dream for at least 20 years, and I've never gotten to the end of it.

Another dream I have all the time is that I'm home alone and someone is breaking into my house. I get the phone to dial 911 and I keep getting the numbers wrong. This dream has changed over the years. It actually reflects the type of phone I currently have. When I was first married my "dream phone" was our cordless phone. Now, it's my iPhone. Strange, huh?

The dream I have most often is this: I'm back in high school, junior year. I go to English class with Mrs. Clendenning. I haven't been to class in a while. I'm not sure why. Maybe I was skipping. But I'm there, and as soon as the teacher walks in she announces that it's final exam day. I begin to panic because I haven't been to class in weeks and weeks, so I have no idea what this test will cover. And if I fail it, I'll fail 11th grade. I've been having this dream since I was actually in 11th grade, and once again- I never get to the ending. Now here's the really strange part: a few months ago a friend of mine sent out an email announcing that she was putting her house on the market and needing to get rid of some things. She said that she had tons of homeschooling books and whoever wanted any of it was welcome to have it. I told her what I was interested in, and she came to co-op with a huge garbage bag full of curriculum for me to take home. In that bag I found, among other things, the same English book from my 11th grade English class.

Creepy.

I keep asking myself if this means anything significant. I asked a few other people too. Most of them just laughed. One asked if I'd done anything bad to Mrs. Clendenning or anyone else in that English class. In case anyone's wondering, the answer to that question is "no!". Chris says I worry to much and that when I stop worrying these crazy dreams will stop.

I am curious though. I haven't really studied dreams since Psychology 1101 back in college. I think I'm going to do some research on my own. Maybe the Holy Spirit's trying to tell me something though my subconscious. Or maybe recurring dreams are just little quirks we all have to keep us guessing.

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