The Dimensions of a Dream
The principles and dimensionality of the spiritual realm, in which the believers and followers of Christ are subsumed, can be almost impossible to comprehend. And yet our Lord God, Creator and Guardian of all realms, assures us as His children that He has provided all that we’ll ever need or desire. While it is specifically the “children” who can dream of a “kingdom of heaven” without boundaries and with limitless possibilities, it is also the child within each of us that, even in the face of torment and disentitlement, imagines and thereby experiences a deep and inner joy lying just beneath the temporal surface.
In that state of mind and heart, we, as followers of Christ even to the cross, are allowed access to a power and beauty that defies even the vilest persecution.
Jesus said in Matthew 19:14,
“Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (NIV)”
As a father, I have treasured the opportunity to pray with my children, especially at bedtime. Such moments triggered their imagination based upon their reflection of, among other things, previous dreams. (These dreams can consist of vivid stories that depict other dimensions, pieced together from everyday experiences, as well as God-given inspiration.) In my children’s earlier years, I noted an almost boundless range of story and imagery, seemingly coming from a belief system that suggests all good things are indeed possible.
As time progressed, there was a maturing of theme and an apparent constraint tied increasingly to the physical world of “modern reality.” I feared that my own inhibitions were encouraging my children to scale down their dreams. I was reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 19 (quoted above), and His admonition for all to become as children, entering then into His unspeakably wonderful and otherwise incomprehensible “kingdom.” The scope and dimensionality of God’s realm cannot be taken in by anyone whose heart and mind are not fully surrendered to His innocence and purview.
Such spiritual dimension to many who are not childlike and open-hearted, could easily intimidate would-be heavenly citizens were it not for the revelatory truth contained in the following passage of Romans 8:38-39:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (NIV)”
So, as we dream…and contemplate our lives in Christ (this especially includes those who are tormented for His namesake), while also considering the scope and prospect of our eternal lives with Him, we need not fear nor suffer confusion. The Lord God, our Heavenly Father, has provided all that we will ever need or desire through Jesus. In fact, He has prepared a place for us in a world that ‘the child within us’ is already celebrating with great joy.
May you know His inner peace and the power of His love in and through your life during times of trial and joy. Thank you for praying with us and for standing with those who are in peril for Jesus’ sake.
- Doug
