It'll Be Good

I had a dream a few months back. I was running through a field on the edge of the woods. It seemed to be in the very early hours of the morning seeing as there was plenty of dew on the grass being trampled beneath my bare feet. However, there wasn't a single sign of the sun in any direction. You might be wondering what I was running from. Admittedly, I was hanging on this same question inside the dream. After a good while of exasperating sprinting I decided to look back and survey my pursuer. As silly as it sounds I found that I was being chased by an infuriated pack of sheep. Sheep...... Okay. I was confused as to why I was running but I had this overwhelming sense that I did not want them to catch up to me, so I continued hauling ass. As soon as I turned back my gaze to the path ahead I saw one of those random park bathroom facilities. I made my way as quick as possible to the stone oasis in front of me, and found cover in what can only be described as a dimly lit hallway between the men's and women's sides respectively. I thrust my body against the cement wall breathing excessively at this point. Almost immediately I spotted, out of the corner of my eye, a full grown lion heading into the hallway. And before I could think I found myself pinned against the wall with this lion roaring straight into my face. Even though this event sounds horribly terrifying I felt nothing but an overwhelming peace. And sure enough I watched the indignant sheep pass right by paying us no mind. Then I woke up, perplexed by the intensity and emotional realism of the dream.

For a while after I went out seeking interpretation of my dream from people in my community. I then came to the conclusion that the sheep I was fearfully running from were a representation of my fears in this world. Whether it be fear of physical harm or detriment, or attack on an emotional level from the people I come in contact with; these sheep were the embodiment of my insecurities. I guess it goes along with the adage, of wolves in sheepskin. And very literally I was running from them. The lion that came to my rescue was the manifestation of God, as He often is. The most important clue of this being the Lord was the fact that I was very calm in his presence; even though there was an awesome display of his power right in front of my face. God then sent the overwhelming message that there was nothing to fear in this world as long as I had Him on my side.

This has been a theme over the past three or so years. God has come into my life and shown me that there is nothing to be afraid of in this life because he will protect me. It was hard at first for me to accept this because my paranoia and crippling fear had plagued me for the majority of my youth. It was a little over two years ago when I finally overcame this ailment. And ever since I've been reminded, in any instance that used to strike me with panic, that God had his hands carrying me through the circumstance. I think back now to Matthew 6 verse 27 which says:

"Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" (NIV)

This struck me very heavily when I first heard this. It's so easy for us to spend so much time worrying about things that are out of our control and eventually will not matter. I'm continuously filled with strength from this verse and verses like it. Nevertheless, I am only human and continue to struggle with how I feel inept to carry out the will God has over my life.

This, again, came to a head when I began planning my move out here to California. As I wrestled with the turmoil of whether or not to go and the possible outcomes of the move, the Lord gave me a word of encouragement. All he said to me was, "It'll be good." That's it and that's all. It seems to me that God likes to speak to me in the simplest of ways. There's an overwhelming allure to His brevity. It has shown me the power of His words. That a sentence comprised of three elementary words can bring about a sense of peace and determination that had been previously so unattainable. I knew whatever happened once I made this leap of faith, what ever outcome, that it was okay because I was following God. In turn, "It'll be good," has become my aphorism over the petrifying goings on of life.

If there's anything I hope you get out of this is that there is no reason to worry. Worrying has been shown to interfere in your sleep habits, appetite and relationships. It will not only make you feel physically unwell but I will inhibit you in experiencing the wonderful creation God has placed around you. Now, push your anxiety to the side and live life. Build friendships, strengthen bonds, see the world and most of all love God.

Thank you and God bless.