When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

~Proverbs 3:24 NIV

 

Brian Halligan, the CEO of an eight-billion-dollar company, takes a nap every day during working hours. In fact, he converted a room in his company’s office into a “nap area” for his workers.

As much as I too enjoy napping, what I really enjoy is having pleasant dreams.

The night before my son’s twenty-ninth birthday, I had a wonderful dream. It made me so happy I woke up with tears streaming down my face. In my dream, my daughter and son ran to me and jumped onto my lap. I could feel their little arms and hands wrapped around me, and I could see their tiny, innocent faces.

My son exclaimed in his six-year-old voice, “Mommy, today is my birthday!”

I replied, “Yes, son, it is, and we are going to have the best birthday party for you!”

When I awoke, I thanked the Lord for allowing me to revisit this precious moment in time with my children, recalling that I should always rejoice.

When my son came over to celebrate, I embraced him a little longer than I usually do.

Puzzled, he asked, “Mom, are you okay?”

I said, “Yes, I just missed you. Happy birthday, son!”

Shortly afterward, I had a conversation with my niece, who is pregnant with her first child. She was having a tough time deciding whether to return to work or be a stay-at-home mom. I showed her my favorite portrait of my children when they were four and six.

I said, “These are my babies. Do you know where they went? I haven’t seen them for many years, and I miss them terribly.”

I told her I would give anything to hold them in my arms one more time, and then I told her about my dream.

Sleep is beneficial to our health in more ways than we can imagine. So is resting in the Lord. We find many Bible verses that assure us of God’s care. But there is something else. God is our Father. Just as my son and daughter are precious to me, we are God’s children, deeply loved and cared for meticulously by the God who framed the universe. He adopts us into His family as soon as we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.

Think about the majesty of a father who would redeem us from our sins by the blood atonement of His only begotten Son. That’s love. Jesus willingly paid redemption’s price, going to Calvary’s cross of His own accord. God rejoices in our decision, saying to His redeemed sons and daughters that they can call Him “Daddy.”

In Galatians, Paul writes,

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

~Galatians 4:4-6 NKJV

I can call on the God of the universe, rest in His care, call Him Daddy, and be forgiven of my transgressions. This is a truth that’s even more restful than physical sleep. Now, this is a dream world I want to live in. As I ponder the vastness of His love, it feels like the best dream, but it’s better because it’s true.

How does knowing God as Father bring you peace that’s better than the best dream?

Heavenly Father, my hope remains steadfast in You. Bring me peace that is more restful than sleep. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2020: Repeating Life in a Dream: Lee Ann Mancini: All Rights Reserved