Missed Appointment

Photo by Ben White 2016

I dreamed that I was going to meet my father in New York City, on York Avenue near the Cornell Medical College campus where I received my medical degree. I arrived early in the day and decided to spend some time sightseeing before our dinner engagement.

Although Manhattan is not known for its amusement parks, somehow I ended up in one. The ride I was on reminded me of a creaky, dated old ride called “Land Before Time” in Blackpool Tower, England, featuring chipped, faded replicas of dinosaurs and sound effects of “roars” that sounded more like mild indigestion.

Suddenly the car I was in veered off course and traveled uphill to a carpeted area behind the seats in what looked like a stage theater. A woman I didn’t recognize was surprised to see me and said, “You’re not supposed to be up here!”

“Well, I didn’t come here on purpose – it’s where the car took me,” I explained. “Looks like the same thing happened to them,” I said, pointing to a young couple in a similar car.

“How do we get out of here?” I asked.

“You can’t just leave, because you’re in the middle of the ride, which seems to be out of order, and you could get lost inside. I can give all of you a lift to wherever you need to go once I’m done here.”

But when she said that wouldn’t be for several hours, I decided to take my chances finding an exit from the ride. As I remembered passing what appeared to be an emergency exit, I backtracked until I eventually found it and was out on the street. Manhattan at dusk, apparently at rush hour, as the sidewalks and streets were packed with people rushing in opposite directions, and horns were blaring to protest the traffic jam.

A street sign said Lexington Ave., which was familiar territory for me back in medical school, but the cross street was 1917 St., which I had never even heard of before. I tried asking for directions from passersby – many different people from all walks of life – but they were all too busy to assist me.

Most ignored me and rushed away, and one elegant, middle-aged woman in a fur hat and suit trimmed with a fur collar and cuffs said, “I can’t help you, and you’ll never find a taxi at this hour.”

I became increasingly panicked as it was getting late; I had no idea where I was or how to get to our dinner destination; and there was no way to contact my father as I had no phone.

I awoke with my heart racing and my stomach sinking with regret over not being able to see my father, who passed away decades ago. Wondering about the dream’s meaning, I realized that it concerned a nightly engagement I have with my Heavenly Father to seek His face in prayer. This was symbolized as a dinner engagement, as He knocks on the door of our hearts, and if we answer, He will come in and dine with us (Revelation 3:20).

Once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), what a blessing to have a promised seat at the Lord’s table, where we can feast on His Word!

Although I always intend to keep this “dinner engagement” with our Father, sometimes the stresses, distractions, and time drains of the day lead to rushed “fast food” crammed in just before bedtime, instead of a leisurely banquet beginning at the appointed time and continuing until I am fully nourished.

The apostle Paul says we are to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and David reminds us to meditate on God’s Word, day and night (Psalm 119:148, etc.). It is good to schedule a designated time for quiet communion with our Lord, but that does not mean that we should ignore Him the rest of the day!

In the dream, I arrived early in the city where I was to meet my Father, near a place of higher education, symbolizing the wisdom and knowledge to be found only in His Word (Psalm 119:105). Yet instead of preparing myself for this divine appointment by listening to His still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12), confessing my sins so that my prayers would not be hindered (1 John 1:9; 1 Peter 3:7), and meditating on Scripture, I allowed myself to become distracted by worldly pleasures.

The amusement park symbolized time wasted on frivolous pursuits, more appropriate for my old life before I was saved (hence the aged appearance and sound effects of the ride). The dinosaur theme may have been a warning to avoid evil lest I fall prey to Satan’s traps (Ephesians 6:11; 1 Peter 5:8), but the crumbling dinosaurs and their feeble cries had no such effect, perhaps because my conscience was seared (1 Timothy 4:2) by ignoring such warnings before.

As often happens in life when we allow ourselves to become distracted by meaningless pursuits, Satan uses this opportunity to carry us where we had no intention of going. King David discovered this when his idleness on his roof one evening while his troops were in the midst of battle led to the sins of lust, adultery, deceit, and even murder (2 Samuel 11).

In the dream, my visiting an amusement park instead of preparing for my meeting with my Father led to delay, losing my bearings, getting trapped in the world system, and missing my appointment altogether. I couldn’t find my way; I had no help from those in the world, and I could not even contact my Father, as I had no phone.

Thankfully, we don’t need a phone or even an appointment to contact our Heavenly Father. But unconfessed sin in our heart – including the sin of idolatry allowing worldly pleasures or other distractions to come between us and God – can hinder our prayers and make Him seem distant, although He is very near to us (Acts 17:27). Sometimes our prayers go unanswered because we are asking for what we want, instead of in accordance with His perfect will, or even worse, because we fail to ask at all (James 4:1-3).

In the dream, in crowded Manhattan at rush hour, I found myself at Lexington Ave., which was familiar to me. The name “Lexington” means “Town of the New Law” – perhaps a reference to the new law of liberty in Christ (James 1:25). Christ’s followers were freed from the Mosaic laws of temple worship, for Christ Himself was the perfect, complete Sacrifice paying our sin debt in full (Hebrews 10:10; 1 John 4:10). Now we have direct access to the Father, just as the nine-foot-thick veil separating the people from the Holy of Holies was split in two at the crucifixion, top to bottom, for God in the flesh came from Heaven to earth to give us that access (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 9:7-15).

But I still could not find my way in the dream, because I was at the intersection of Lexington Ave and “1917 St.,” which does not exist. I believe this number refers to the date of the Russian Revolution and the darkest days of World War I, a time of rebellion, chaos, destruction and devastation.

I believe the dream is warning me to keep my priorities straight, always giving Jesus Christ and His law of liberty the pre-eminence, so that I will keep my divine appointments with our Father, communing with Him through prayer and mediation on His Word. At His table can I be fed with wisdom, avoiding Satan’s traps and the destruction he desires! 

© 2023 Laurie Collett

Beware of Dog

Photo by Gora Zoltan 2007

I dreamed that I was in the back of our house and was putting clothes away, carrying them from the bedroom and bathroom and hanging them in the closet or folding them to be placed in dresser drawers. I suddenly heard noises coming from our front door, so I rushed out to investigate.

To my dismay, the front door was wide open, and a woman in a blue business suit, high heels and horn-rimmed glasses was standing there with a clipboard, directing men in tan workers’ uniforms to move furniture and other items from our house into a large truck parked out front!

I demanded to know what was going on, but the workers ignored me, and the woman only replied cryptically, “We have prior authorization.”

In my shock I wondered whether I should argue with her, request to see the paperwork, or just immediately call my husband or 911. Then I noticed a very large, furry dog, all brown with black facial features, resembling a mastiff or St. Bernard, sleeping across the threshold of the front door.

Without even thinking about what I was doing, I reached down to pet the hairy beast. But it grabbed my right arm between its front paws and held me in a vice-like grip, from which I could not escape. Even worse, I suddenly realized I could neither move nor speak.

I awoke in a panic, then experienced great relief as I realized it was only a dream, perhaps warning me about the importance of being vigilant (1 Peter 5:8; 1 Timothy 3:2). In the dream I had been involved in routine chores, straightening up my house, but unaware of the major threat to my home and even to my safety that lurked outside.

How often do we get caught up in mundane activities and ignore what is far more important? In the dream, I was sorting out the minor details of my wardrobe, while unaware that my possessions and home were in great danger.

When going through trials in real life, I sometimes find it comforting to tidy up and organize, as it gives me the illusion of control. But in truth, it is God Who works all things together for the good of His children (Romans 8:28), and we can lay our burdens at the cross and trust Him completely (1 Peter 5:7).

Once we are saved by our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), He expects us to be good stewards over what He has entrusted to us (Luke 12:42-48; 1 Corinthians 4:2). If we are not faithful to tend the blessings, opportunities, and ministries He has provided, He will reapportion them to others who will use them wisely to His glory (Matthew 25:14-30), for He owns everything (Psalm 50:10).

To be good stewards, we must be faithful and share God’s priorities. Too often we get encumbered by physical tasks when He longs to feed us spiritually (Luke 10:38-42). Or we may become preoccupied with our physical appearance, which is of little importance to God (1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Corinthians 10:7; 1 Peter 3:4); and forget to cultivate our spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

If we do not hear His still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12), we may lose those spiritual blessings, which are a far greater treasure than any material wealth (Matthew 6:20), until we are restored to fellowship with Him (1 John 1:9).

It amazes me that in the dream, while threatened by intruders invading my home and taking my possessions, that I could get distracted by petting a dog! Yet if we are not careful, Satan can divert our attention from ever-present spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-13) by engaging us in seemingly innocent pursuits. Before we know it, we can be trapped in a stronghold that prevents us from fulfilling our God-given purpose (2 Corinthians 10:2-6).

Our home is our abode, just as our body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, once we have been saved (Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 6:19). In real life, we would not likely surrender the contents of our home without putting up a fight. Even better, we would try to prevent a home invasion and its consequences in the first place by using house alarms, locking the doors, and being insured against losses.

In His mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16; 2 John 1:3), God has given us an effective security system that protects His holy temple within us. Our conscience is an alarm that warns us when we are in spiritual danger, yet our conscience can become seared (1 Timothy 4:2) if we quench (1 Thessalonians 5:19) or grieve His Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). It is therefore vital that we hide His Word in our heart to avoid sinning against Him (Psalm 119:11).

Just as we lock our doors to protect what’s inside our house, we should guard our spirit by putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18). Of the six pieces of spiritual armor Paul mentions, only one, the sword of the Spirit, is offensive and the others are all defensive, shielding us from Satan’s traps.

We insure our homes and their contents to avoid financial loss. But thankfully, it is God Himself Who insures our spirit. To be saved, we did nothing but trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior (Ephesians 2:8-9), and once He saves us, we can do nothing to lose our salvation (Romans 8:39). Jesus holds us firmly within His hand, which is held firmly in the grip of the Father (John 10:28-29), and this fortress is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13).

Although our spirit is eternally secure, we must constantly guard against the devil, who wants to lead us into sin. Unrepented sin can interrupt our fellowship with God (1 John 1:6-7), remove our physical and/or spiritual blessings, cause us to lose eternal rewards, and even destroy us physically, with potential consequences including pain, disease, and even death (Romans 6:23; James 1:15).

But the devil is a master liar and deceiver (John 8:44), and he disguises his temptations, just as he disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-14). Do we trust those who seek to hurt, deceive or destroy us just because they are nicely dressed and have a professional demeanor?

Do we let our guard down around a creature seemingly as innocent as a sleeping pet, only to discover that it is a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), seeking whom he may devour? Don’t expect Satan to hang out a “Beware of Dog” sign!

I love dogs, grew up with dogs as pets, and have even been dubbed the “Dog Whisperer” by my son. But the Bible warns against dogs, using them as a symbol of Jews who think they can be saved by their religious works (Philippians 3:2), and of those who are impure because they have not received by faith the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Revelation 22:15).

May God grant us the spiritual discernment to beware dogs, or opportunities for Satan to grab hold of our life, and to set our spiritual house in order by following His priorities in all we do! 

© 2017 Laurie Collett