This morning, just before waking up on Thursday, May 17, I had the most wonderful, scary, beautiful, terrifying dream.
I dreamed that my youngest daughter was a little way away from me, and suddenly, right next to her was an enormous lion. She saw him and was very startled. I started to run towards her, thinking the worst. As I ran, the lion roared – the loudest, fiercest roar that had ever been heard, and it should have terrified me, but the closer I got, the less scared I was. Finally, I was there, and the lion roared again, but instead of being scared, I was absolutely thrilled, because it was Aslan!!
He punched a hole in the brick wall near us with his huge paw, and then he roared again, “COME!” My daughter leaped through the hole, but I was just standing there. I said, “Can I come, too?” afraid that he'd say no, but he just looked at me with tender amusement and somehow I knew that I could go, too.
On the other side of the wall was a train, but on the train, you sat single file, with a harness over you like on a roller coaster. Aslan put the harness on me. I could have taken it off myself, but I had no desire to undo what he had done. So, we take off, and it's like a roller coaster – the scariest roller coaster I had ever been on. It was terrifying, but thrilling, because I knew I was perfectly safe. It was Aslan's roller coaster, and he was right there, too, even though we couldn't see him.
My husband was in the seat in front of me, and at one point, the ride to the high point and the plunge down was so scary that I screamed, “I hate this! I want it to stop!” even though deep inside me, I knew nothing could happen to me with my harness on. Then, I went upside down – but held in by my harness – and suddenly, just like that, while I was still upside down, the ride ended, and we were in the train station. Except the train station wasn't little – it was everywhere. I looked down at the tracks, and they just ended there. It was a one-way ride.
So, people were getting off the train, a little dazed, as the ride had ended so suddenly – at what seemed like the very peak of the ride – the scariest part – it was just over. There wasn't any jolt from the sudden stop or anything. Just at one point we are careening along, going up so far and so high that we are upside down, and the next instant, we're stopped at the train station. I stayed in my harness for awhile, because it was safe there, but finally, I realized it was safe everywhere.
I was really tired after that ride, so I lay down to rest on this lovely bed that was suddenly there, and Aslan was stretched out next to me. I can still feel his warm, solid lion body and soft fur. As I lay there, I thought about the ride, and I realized that all during the ride, I had somehow been holding this little, gray kitten. The kitten was all matted and its poor fur was in horrible shape. I remembered that (somehow this had all happened during the ride, apparently) Aslan had come and taken the kitten and by stroking it with his huge claws (every one was the size of my finger), he had just cut away the mats of fur. It seemed like it was impossible for the kitten to not be hurt, but it wasn't. In fact, it just lay there on its back and let Aslan do that, until the mats were gone. Afterward, the kitten was so happy to be free of the mats.
I got up from my rest, and I couldn't see Aslan, but I knew he was there. In fact, I knew that he would always be right there, now, and I was just so thrilled and excited about that. I wouldn't ever be apart from him. Still, I was confused about what had happened, and where we had been, and as I wondered that, I remembered the ride again, and it was though I was standing next to the ride, watching it, but remembering it (I know – confusing, but it was like time was different in the train station), and I asked, as though we were still on the journey/ride (so that I would know during the journey, even though from my perspective, the journey was done), “What's going on? What are we doing here?”
I dreamed that my youngest daughter was a little way away from me, and suddenly, right next to her was an enormous lion. She saw him and was very startled. I started to run towards her, thinking the worst. As I ran, the lion roared – the loudest, fiercest roar that had ever been heard, and it should have terrified me, but the closer I got, the less scared I was. Finally, I was there, and the lion roared again, but instead of being scared, I was absolutely thrilled, because it was Aslan!!
He punched a hole in the brick wall near us with his huge paw, and then he roared again, “COME!” My daughter leaped through the hole, but I was just standing there. I said, “Can I come, too?” afraid that he'd say no, but he just looked at me with tender amusement and somehow I knew that I could go, too.
On the other side of the wall was a train, but on the train, you sat single file, with a harness over you like on a roller coaster. Aslan put the harness on me. I could have taken it off myself, but I had no desire to undo what he had done. So, we take off, and it's like a roller coaster – the scariest roller coaster I had ever been on. It was terrifying, but thrilling, because I knew I was perfectly safe. It was Aslan's roller coaster, and he was right there, too, even though we couldn't see him.
My husband was in the seat in front of me, and at one point, the ride to the high point and the plunge down was so scary that I screamed, “I hate this! I want it to stop!” even though deep inside me, I knew nothing could happen to me with my harness on. Then, I went upside down – but held in by my harness – and suddenly, just like that, while I was still upside down, the ride ended, and we were in the train station. Except the train station wasn't little – it was everywhere. I looked down at the tracks, and they just ended there. It was a one-way ride.
So, people were getting off the train, a little dazed, as the ride had ended so suddenly – at what seemed like the very peak of the ride – the scariest part – it was just over. There wasn't any jolt from the sudden stop or anything. Just at one point we are careening along, going up so far and so high that we are upside down, and the next instant, we're stopped at the train station. I stayed in my harness for awhile, because it was safe there, but finally, I realized it was safe everywhere.
I was really tired after that ride, so I lay down to rest on this lovely bed that was suddenly there, and Aslan was stretched out next to me. I can still feel his warm, solid lion body and soft fur. As I lay there, I thought about the ride, and I realized that all during the ride, I had somehow been holding this little, gray kitten. The kitten was all matted and its poor fur was in horrible shape. I remembered that (somehow this had all happened during the ride, apparently) Aslan had come and taken the kitten and by stroking it with his huge claws (every one was the size of my finger), he had just cut away the mats of fur. It seemed like it was impossible for the kitten to not be hurt, but it wasn't. In fact, it just lay there on its back and let Aslan do that, until the mats were gone. Afterward, the kitten was so happy to be free of the mats.
I got up from my rest, and I couldn't see Aslan, but I knew he was there. In fact, I knew that he would always be right there, now, and I was just so thrilled and excited about that. I wouldn't ever be apart from him. Still, I was confused about what had happened, and where we had been, and as I wondered that, I remembered the ride again, and it was though I was standing next to the ride, watching it, but remembering it (I know – confusing, but it was like time was different in the train station), and I asked, as though we were still on the journey/ride (so that I would know during the journey, even though from my perspective, the journey was done), “What's going on? What are we doing here?”
Because the ride had also been a journey that Aslan was taking us on. It was simultaneously a ride with set tracks and set parts that were scary (all while locked into a harness to keep us safe), and also a journey that Aslan was guiding us on, where I was walking with him and could have gone off in my own direction if I had really wanted to (which, of course, you can't do on a roller coaster ride). I didn't want to, because only Aslan knew the way, and I wanted to stay with him. I know – only in a dream – but it was both at the same time.
So, anyway, while at the train station, but somehow asking for the “self” that was still on the journey, I'm yelling, “What are we doing here?” There is this very large figure behind and to the left of me, that I can just see out of the corner of my eye. He's way taller than a man, and he's dressed in white, and he answers in this voice that somehow could be heard all over the world, “We are here to celebrate Christ's victory in ten days!”
And, I woke up. Instantly, the verse in my head was “You shall have tribulation ten days.”
So, that was the dream. The symbolism was very clear to me about most of it. The only part that wasn't clear was the “ten days.” It seems logical to assume that since everything else was in symbols, the ten days might be, too, but I don't know. Exactly ten days from the dream is Pentecost. Does that mean anything? I don't know. Certainly Pentecost was a victory for Christ in historical reality, because that was the day the Holy Spirit came.
So, here's what I got out of it, even if it was just a dream:
Aslan represents Jesus, of course. The road ahead – the journey ahead – the “ride” ahead, is going to be scary, even terrifying, but Jesus has locked us in. If we are in Jesus, we are in his safety harness, and nothing can prevent us from getting to our destination at the end of the ride. While on the ride, Jesus is going to purify us – to “comb out our mats” and free us from what has been weighing us down. The journey has a zillion directions you could go, but only one right way, and that is to stick with Jesus and let Him lead. We will get to our destination, which is heaven, and we will always be with Jesus, and that will be more wonderful than you can possibly imagine.
So, those things I know for sure – because they are biblical and simply a reminder of what God has already told us in His word.
So, beyond that is just speculation, but here is what I think it means, if it means anything beyond a really cool dream. Something just changed. God has started us on the end journey. He is calling us out of whatever we have been doing and saying “follow me.” In the dream, if I hadn't gone through the hole and gotten on the train, I would have missed out. So, I think the dream is saying, “Now's the time, folks. Follow Me NOW or be left out. I have no idea what happened with anyone who didn't go through the wall in the dream. Once through, I had no more thought for what I left behind.
Anyway, even locked in to a set ride with set tracks and set “thrills,” it was terrifying. I wanted off and for it to be over. There was no getting off, though. It was kind of “count the cost” before you got on. But why wouldn't you get on? Only by getting on would I be with Aslan, and that's what I wanted. I didn't care where the journey took me. I just wanted to stay with Aslan. Being with him was so wonderful. I think, perhaps, before we are home in heaven, the ride is going to be very, very scary, but we need to remember that we are locked in, and perfectly safe. Maybe it's going to seem like Tribulation, capitol "T."
I don't know what the ten days means. Interpret as you will. But, as believers, we ARE here to celebrate Christ's victory – no matter what happens or how scary it seems to be. We are on Jesus' path, like a train on rails – a roller coaster with a predetermined course. Yet, I think something is different. A journey is starting that you don't want to miss out on. Time to be seeking Aslan's country.
