My dream

Early this morning I remember having a dream. It wasn't a typical dream that plays like a movie. It was a dialogue being said to me or from me...I'm not sure which. The dialogue was about Jesus and His disciples as they were going across the Sea of Galilea when the big storm came up and Jesus called the wind and the rain to "be still." The following is a piecing together of my dream:

The boat was ready to set sail to go across the sea, but some of the disciples didn't want to let go of the ropes holding them to shore. They argued that they were afraid of getting out a little too far because it looked like rain. Jesus reminded them that they needed to get to the other side and he asked how where they going to get there by just sitting in a boat that was tied up? After much deliberation, the boat was untied and headed for the other side. Jesus fell asleep on a pillow and the storm hit fiercely. Water began filling the boat. The disciples began arguing. "I told you we shouldn't have tried to cross tonight!" "Jesus said he needs to get to the other side!" "We would've been safer to wait and just stay in the boat when it was tied up." Etc., etc. The water was beginning to sink the boat. That was when they decided to wake Jesus. They told Him their concerns about perishing and He responded, "Oh, you of little faith." He rebuked the wind and waves and a sudden peace came upon them all...then awe and fear. Who were they with? Did they really know this Jesus?

This is when the commentary came into my head...you see, I've been worrying about the tug between begin godly and being legalistic. Where is that line? Where is the line between being godly and being judgemental? It hit me as this dream played in my head:

The disciples wanting to have the boat tied to shore and not go out into the sea for fear of sinking in the storm are people who cannot go out into the world for fear that they will be pulled into the storm of culture, society, and the world's traps...they are safe-yes--but they don't get to experience the power and miracles that Jesus could show them if they would just let go.

The rest are ones who want to obey Jesus and take Him everywhere they go. They understand that they were called to go into ALL the world and take the gospel. Sometimes they do things that don't make sense (like crossing a sea with a huge storm cloud hanging over it) but they trust Jesus enough to know that He brought them this far...He'll take care of the details to get them the rest of the way. They experience the miracles and witness the power of God because they let go of their fears and followed Him.

My calendar from Billy Graham said on May 18th:
Jesus ate with publicans and sinners. Nearly everone He associated with was an outcast...We are to "weep with those who weep," suffer with those who suffer, and identify ourselves with the poor, sick, and the needy in body, mind, and spirit. How else can we reach them for Christ? We are to love those who are involved in the world without being contaminated, influenced, or swayed by them. We achieve this distinction only by a close walk with Christ. Like Him, we are to be in the world, but not of the world. It is good for a ship to be in the sea, but bad when the sea gets into the ship.

I'm turning this over to God...I cannot do anything but pray and trust that God who brought me to the place I serve will take care of the details. I am so thankful, though, that I've let go of the rope that holds me to shore. Because if I hadn't, I wouldn't experience the power and awesomeness of God I've already seen and can't wait to see more of...

--by grace