Saturday, April 28, 2012

Views of the Peak


Through His Word, God shows us His general plan for our lives, which includes abundant life here and now, and eternity with Him in Heaven if we have a personal relationship with His Son. Nothing the world has to offer can compare with that, and if we place our faith in anything else, it will lead to our destruction (John 10:10).

I had a beautiful dream of walking at sunset, as though God were leading me along a quiet path, winding up through a mountain pass, where He could show me a glimpse of what He intended for me. A refreshing, gentle wind brushed against my skin, and in the distance I could see a single, majestic, snow-capped mountain, dusky blue, but lit from behind by the rosy light of the setting sun.

I was truly content and filled with a sense of wonder at God’s love. But then I felt Him directing my gaze downward, to the side of the road, which surprised me as I was so drawn to the view of the peak above. Thankfully, I listened, as almost hidden in the lush, green vines carpeting the path were two miniature orchids, delicately floating in the breeze like dancers swaying in embroidered ball gowns of lavender and white. What an exquisite reminder that He attends to every detail in our lives!

I awoke feeling overwhelmed by His love, and realizing that we are blessed not only by our ultimate destiny in heavenly places with Him (Ephesians 1:3; 2:4-7), but by so many expressions of love He places along our daily journey to bring us joy in Him as He rejoices over us (Zephaniah 3:17). If we race ahead with no thought to our surroundings, we may miss His subtle whispers of love that encourage and uplift us.

It would be a blessing if all my dreams were peaceful epiphanies like these, but there are lessons to be learned even from the more mundane and frantic dreams. The next night I again dreamed I saw a mountain peak, but the setting was very different. This time I was riding in a small car on the track of an amusement park ride, and the mountain peak was a poor representation of God’s natural creation. It was the focal point of the ride and the color scheme was similar, but it was a cheap imitation in plaster of Paris with flaking paint. At the base of the peak was a dark vortex of churning water that the car was meant to pass through to descend to the next part of the ride, ominous and foreboding as the final destination was hidden.

I felt so cheated as I looked up at the fake mountain, refusing to believe it was not what I had experienced before. Surely if I could look at it longer, it would somehow transform into the heavenly creation representing the glorious city on the hill (Psalm 48:1; Ezekiel 40:2; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 2:1-3). So I took matters into my own hands, grabbing the sides of the car and derailing it just before it was swept into the vortex. I struggled to push it back, away from the force of the whirlpool, only to find myself confronting oncoming traffic from the cars that were still on their preset course, and headed for a multi-car collision.

What a relief to awaken, and to realize that nothing the world has to offer can compare with God’s gifts of love and peace that satisfy us completely (Ephesians 3:14-17). Cheap imitations leave us hungry, frustrated, and unfulfilled, and spending more time with them only aggravates the emptiness rather than relieving it, because they keep us from spending time with Him (Matthew 6:19-24).

Why would we want to waste our time with man-made distractions when He speaks to us daily through His Word (Jeremiah 15:16; Luke 8:15; Colossians 3:16), His creation (Psalm 19:1), the counsel of brothers and sisters in Christ (Proverbs 27:9,17), and in so many other ways? It is far easier to keep ourselves out of worldly places where we should not go than to escape once we are there, as the momentum of others caught up in the same fate will pull us down, resulting in disaster (Proverbs 7:4-27; Exodus 23:33).

May we keep our eyes on the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24), our feet in high places (2 Samuel 22:34; Psalm 18:33; Habakkuk 3:19), and our life in Him (Acts 17:28) as He leads us safely on our journey, lavishing His love and joy on us along the path and preparing an amazing destiny for us in Heaven (1 Corinthians 2:9). He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).


© 2012 Laurie Collett



33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Laurie, what a beautiful post!!! Wow, your first dream was awesome! Praise the LORD for these 'gifts' from Him~! ♥♥♥

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks so much for your kind words, Cathy! He is truly worthy to be praised!
Have a blessed week in Him,
Laurie

Frank E. Blasi said...

This article reminds me of the European Alps mountain range I had a glimpse at when I traveled, first as a boy with my parents, then as a backpacker when I was older. The range covers Southern France, Switzerland, Northern Italy and parts of Austria and Germany. The most famous peak was the Matterhorn, straddling over France and Switzerland. It inspires sheer beauty to the beholder, and a glory to God's creation.
There is an imitation of the Matterhorn at Disneyland, California, high enough to be one of the dominant features of the park, after the Sleeping Beauty Castle itself. As your article says, it is a roller-coaster ride which flies around and through the mountain. Personally, I loved it!
But I understand what you are saying, that looking for man's imitations in this world not only is less satisfying, but leads to death.
A very thought-provoking article.

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, as always, Frank, for your interesting comment! My mother and I took a brief trip to Europe one summer when I was a young girl, and I loved the scenery at the Alps also. The wildflowers also caught my attention, and I hadn't even thought about this experience in connection with this dream until you mentioned the Matterhorn!

Man is creative because we are made in His image, but no matter how lovely or clever our creations are, they can never compare with His creation. Nonbelievers who elevate man's creations to the status of idols run the risk of spiritual death and damnation because they never find Him.

God bless,
Laurie

caryjo said...

God has blessed me with dreams more than once...and used them a couple times to tell me exactly what to do and where to go. I posted about a couple of them some time ago. Most of the time I dream very actively and intensely, but just occasionally there is one that is very instructive. I don't treat dreams like that as eating too much pizza... He must be speaking and directing and leading you in that manner, too. It is very much worth it.

Laurie Collett said...

Dear caryjo,
God can speak to us in so many ways, including dreams. May we always be attentive and obedient to His voice.
Love in Him,
Laurie

Donald Fishgrab said...

More people flock to the imitation mountain in Disney land than to the real mountain. As you described, they wind up settling for far less that the real thing offers, and finally end in death, but often convinced the fake is more exciting until the last moment. Great post.

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Denise! God bless!

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, dfish. So sad, but true, that Disneyland is a more popular attraction than God's creation. I guess that's why some churches feel they need to be "relevant" with movie themes, costumes, Elvis impersonators, etc. instead of just preaching God's Word. Isn't Jesus enough?
God bless,
Laurie

Unknown said...

A dream of peace is a blessing - In my dreams, someone is usually chasing me! Ha ha :-)

a joyful noise said...

Thank you for sharing your awesome story of two dreams each so different - - At
http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/
Yes, Oh Lord, Give me the REAL thing, I need YOU every Hour!

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks for your comment, Robert! Amen to the blessing of peaceful dreams!
God bless,
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, A Joyful Noise! He alone satisfies, and without Him, we can't take our next breath!
Love in Him,
Laurie

Anonymous said...

A beautiful place to be.. the little grace gifts to keep us going on our journey towards home. Thank you for sharing your dream. So Blessed!

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks so much, The Mackey Family, for your visit and kind comment! He is so loving to shower us with gifts along the way!
God bless,
Laurie

Charlotte said...

Thank you for sharing your dreams. It is a blessing to hear about how God communicates to others. I certainly believe it is sometimes in dreams. Love your picture of the snowcapped mountain.
Blessings,
Charlotte

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Charlotte! God speaks to His children in so many ways -- especially through His Word!
Love in Him,
Laurie

Shanda said...

Nothing compares to the knowledge of Christ...I was just studying that this morning.

Laurie Collett said...

Amen Shanda! He is all we need!
God bless,
Laurie

Anonymous said...

Does God often speak to you in dreams? I have only had a handful of significant dreams....

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks for your comment, Journey to Epiphany! I don't remember very many significant dreams, but here's a description of another one I had recently:
http://savedbygracebiblestudy.blogspot.com/2012/04/whos-driving.html
God bless,
Laurie

Laura @ BeholdingGlory.com said...

Would love to have you guest post May 14th. Can you have it to me by May 12th? Just email me. laura.krokos@uscm.org

Tracy Leigh said...

So great to be reminded today of this! I really liked that you said Why waste your time with man made distractions? Oh how incredible easy that is for me to get caught up in! Making it a goal to notice the details the Lord has placed there for me today. Thanks for your words!

Alecia Simersky said...

Wow! another great lesson from a dream. I often wonder, why people, myself included go back to living as prisoners of sin, after we are saved. Is it because we can't believe that something so good could really be? God really is all we need, the world offers temporary highs. And it doesn't even begin to fulfill our deepest need, to be loved, just as we are. Thanks for sharing another dream.

youth pastor said...

You write beautifully and you reference one of my favorite scriptures...Zephaniah 3:17. Thanks for sharing!

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Laura, will do!

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Tracy Leigh, for your visit and encouraging comment! The world keeps clamoring for our attention, but we just need to listen to His still, small voice.
God bless,
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Alecia! Praise God that He came to set the captives free, and that He loves each of us infinitely. He even makes each of us His child and joint heir with Christ, appoints us to be His ambassador, gives us abundant life beginning at the moment of salvation, and gives us eternal life with Him in glory. What could be better than that?
Love in Him,
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, youth pastor, for your visit & kind comment! Zeph. 3:17 is one of my favorites too!
May God bless you and your ministry,
Laurie

Joan Hall said...

Setting our sites on things eternal....that verse has been in my thoughts much this week. It is true that the things of this world are temporary and yes, mundane in comparison with what we will have in eternity.

Another encouraging post, Laurie.

Blessings,
Joan

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Joan, for your kind comment! Looking up for His return and forward to seeing Him face to face!
You are a blessing,
Laurie

Mary said...

Such truth in this! Thank you for sharing! These dreams you share are always wonderful metaphors for real life. It's so easy to get caught up in all the distractions of the world that promise such enjoyment, but it's all an illusion, a cheap imitation. The real thing can only be found in God. Yet somehow I still manage to get so caught up in every lesser thing. Oh, this is a lesson I need to learn. Thank you again for sharing this!

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Mary, for your encouragement! I'm so glad you enjoyed this post. He really is all we need!
God bless,
Laurie