What dreams may come

Dreams are funny things, aren't they?  They can be crazy, mixed up bits of nothing that make no sense or they can be profound snapshots of our sub-conscious.    Every so often I get the latter.  If you have seen the movie "What Dreams May Come" with Robin Williams, you will get an idea of what I am talking about.    In the movie, the character Robin Williams plays loses both his children in an auto accident, where his wife survives.  Years later, Robin Williams himself dies in an accident.  The place he goes to is a surreal version of what the hollywood mind can imagine heaven will be like.  There are places his wife imagined in paintings that are now real, people are with loved ones and doing whatever they wished they could do in their living life, even their pets are there.  Its very dream-state, though in this case it is supposed to be what he experiences after death.  Unfortunately, his wife, who was overcome with sadness, commits suicide and ends up in a dark hole where those that take their lives are put because they didn't value life enough to live.  Its the basic Hollywood mish-mash of  mistaken theology, new age ism and wishful thinking.  But one thing it does bring to mind is that feeling of dreams being real.

About once a month, less or more depending on my life, I have dreams that could be described as "visits" from those that have left this world.  Whether wishful thinking on my part or actual touches from the beyond, these dreams sometimes leave me blue and other times leave me feeling uplifted.   A few weeks ago I had a dream where I woke up and I was in my parents house.  I had been sleeping in my old bedroom though I was the age I am now.  I walked out into the living room and my mom is preparing to decorate for Christmas.  The house is in the shape it was prior to 2000 when my parents redecorated.  Old carpet, paneled walls, etc.   My mom turns and smiles and says, "did you sleep well?"  The rest is kind of a blur, this one not being as clear as other dreams.    But the point was, sometimes I dream like this.  Everyone that has passed that I loved is usually there, happily going on with their lives.

It made me ponder.  Is this what heaven is like?  I know that heaven will be about worshipping God and that we will all be transformed to where that will be our primary job.  But according to scripture, we won't be floating around on clouds playing harps.  We will have duties, jobs and things we carry out.  Of course we won't tire like we do now.  Also we will have houses.  I doubt they are like my parents house with the old brown shag carpet.  But who knows?  If that is where I was the most happy, maybe that will be my house.

Who knows what happens beyond the veil that seperates this life from the next.  But what I do know is that all those that went before me still exist.  I imagine my brain could not fathom how that works, so God dumbs it down for me.  I appreciate he allows for my limitations without too much scolding. 

Now if I could just do that for myself.  Life would be must less stressful.