"In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust." -Psalm 4:8

I remember a stage in my life when I started doubting many of the things about my faith, and a lot of tough things began to frustrate me. Then, in the midst of the struggle, I had a dream:

I was walking then running down a road and, all of a sudden, I came upon this massive wooden wall. It was knotty, big, and one solid piece to the left, right, and above. It seemed to go on for eternity. And it frustrated me. I wanted to break through the wall, or climb the wall, or go around the wall, or dig under it, but I couldn't. What was I going to do with this big wall?

I started to weep. Then, I started to hit the wall repeatedly with my fist until my knuckles bled. Screaming at the wall, I asked it to fall down, to let me go, to allow me to continue moving. Finally, the weeping ceased. I stopped hitting the wall and stepped back to see that I wasn't hitting a wall; I was hitting a giant tree.

I looked up as this massive tree that reached up into the sky and into the clouds. With a sense of calm and rest, I sat down under the tree, allowing its shade to shelter me, and it brought me peace.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your insight when I am going through hard times. Even when I feel trapped, help me, instead, to lean into my problem and allow your strength to bring me peace. Amen.

Reflection: Have you ever had a spiritual dream? Describe. What did it mean to you?

* * *

Prayer:

* * *

Reflection:

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust."
-Psalm 4:8