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| Photo Credit: wildministries.net |
Night visions are not the usual way I hear from my Heavenly Father. In fact, I seldom dream. Or maybe it is that I dream but do not remember when I awaken. This dream, however, I will never forget. It was the most intimate and powerful dream I have experienced and I never planned to share it, but the sweet Spirit leads me to do so...
Over seven months ago I dreamt of going to a place or rather it seemed I went with one of my children to this place. It was vague who I was with, but we were going there (as it became evident to me in the vision) to bring home a beautiful white bird.
It wasn't long before we spotted her. The pure snowy-white dove sat on a low-lying branch amongst some greenery and looked at me as though she had been waiting expectantly. I motioned to her to come by patting my left shoulder. I was exhilarated as she flew to me without hesitation and tucked her head close to my neck. I wanted to keep her safe there and she trusted me fully and I fell in love with her and she with me. In fact, when we first looked into each other's eyes I knew that she already loved me. Our love was powerful.
We went everywhere together it seemed. My dream was vague as to where and what I did but there were times when I went to look for my dove as though I had gone places without her. I wondered how I should take care of her--was she eating; did she need water?
Always she would fly to me when I sought her. Then one day I looked for her and my youngest grandson came up to me so I asked him about my bird.
"She bathed herself and went into my tent to rest and there I found her dead," he explained in his childlike matter-of-fact way. I looked inside the old-fashioned canvas tent he had set up outside but could not find her body. She was gone.
I awoke and as I laid in the dark thinking on the vision, I began to weep deep sorrowful sobs of loss. I knew the beautiful white bird represented the sweet Holy Spirit.
"Lord, I do not wish to grieve your Holy Spirit. Sweet Spirit, I love you! Lord, do not take Your Spirit away! Do not let me forget to love Your Spirit and cherish her! Forgive me for neglecting the Spirit and help me," I prayed with a desperate torn heart.
Ephesians 4:30 states "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." It is not that God would ever forsake us, but it is possible to grieve the Spirit of God.
As I thought on the dream the following day I remembered another part of it where a man had talked with me about special food for his bird. This made me realize I did not really know how to care for my dove and I wept and prayed anew.
I do not understand all spiritual things, but I realize now more than ever how real the personage of the Holy Spirit is. He came to me when I invited Him and came with instant unconditional love for me. All He asks is that I give loving attention in return.
It was 3:44 A.M. when I awoke from that night vision--the morning of my son Jonah's birthday. The name Jonah means "dove" (see Strong's Concordance H-3124).
In the following days my time was filled with my retail job, but each day I prayed for the sweet Spirit to be with me and to help me. I did not feel more spiritual and as it was the busy holiday season my time was more and more absorbed in work at the store and at home. On the fifth day after having the dream (I just remembered the number five represents grace), my husband Tom said to me as he drove me to work, "I was amazed to see a large white dove sitting on our roof this morning--the largest one I've ever seen." Grey doves are common in our region, but not white doves.
I couldn't tell Tom of my dream--it wasn't time. But my heart rejoiced that God sent the wonderful symbol of His love to our home.
Holy Spirit, You are welcome!
My usage of both male and female pronouns when referring to the dove or Holy Spirit is not to cause confusion or insinuate that the Spirit is male or female. Although ruach, the Hebrew word for spirit, is in the feminine gender [BLB], there is no gender in the spirit realm [Galatians 3:28].