The Death of a Dream

Just had a dream. A non-descript flower in a pot, white petals with a yellow centre. It was asking another flower, "What can I do?" I do not remember the flower, nor its reply. It then asked the peas, "What can I do?" The peas answered, "You can tend the sheep." The flower then said, "How can I, for I have no hands." I was holding an orchid plant, and it was growing, and growing, literally growing in my hands. When it was fully grown, people from the CG was crowding excitedly around me, picking the purple orchids from the plant. Everyone was really happy and excited, there was a genuine, childlike 'kampung' feel to it, as if we were all kids again, excited by the little toys and big imaginations. We weaved the orchids on a circular pointed roof made of flowers, and it looked beautiful...

Next thing I know, we destroyed the roof. The roof had not been attached to anything, and we removed the flowers and turned it inside out. I was sad. The me-that-was-in-the-dream reasoned that there was a cycle to everything, that everything dies and returns to the earth. The roof will decompose, and one again return to as soil, nourishing the trees, and returning as wood.

I draw one conclusion and one revelation from the dream. You may not be able to do things that others can do, but you can bring joy to people. You can, for a moment, bring them back to their childhood, the times where the world seemed like a giant playground, limited only by one's limitless imagination. In that, you can be important too.

When I woke, I pondered upon the dream, and a verse jumped out at me:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - 2 Co 5:17

and almost immediately after that

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. - 2 Co 4:16

I used to read "old things have passed away" as meaning old defeats, past failures. Not so! What is glorious passes away too. The Bible tells us that:

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. -2 Cor 3:18

Your greatest assets, your strongholds of victories in Christ, all these will too pass away. Not so to ruin, but to make way for even greater works that God wants to bring into your life!

Too often, we pray heavy, sad prayers.

"Oh Lord, I have again stumbled in the face of temptation."

"Oh Lord, help me in my weaknesses."

"Oh Lord, my enemies have once again come to my gates. Help me!"

Occasionally, we pray triumphant, happy prayers.

"Thank you God for this breakthrough!"

But don't stop there!

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. - John 12:24

Don't hold on to your victory! Let it die, and be a seed for future growth.

"Thank you God for this breakthrough! I know that this is just the beginning of what you have in store for me! Once again I lay everything on the altar, my victories and defeats, my strengths and my weaknesses. Bring me higher! To God be the glory!"

Where Do You Want To Go Today?

'Cheshire Puss,' she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. 'Come, it's pleased so far,' thought Alice, and she went on. 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.

'I don't much care where--' said Alice.

'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

'--so long as I get SOMEWHERE,' Alice added as an explanation.

'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough.'

- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Where do you want to go today? Somewhere doesn't cut it. Anyone who walks long enough gets somewhere. Do you care enough about where you're going to ask how?

Boxy Box Box and Loose Socks

Ouch. I really was an emo blogger. I think I'm still an emo person, but learning to do it "on my own time". I think that's my next stage, to fully compartmentalise this instability into little boxes.

Heh, took a peak at the MV for Lady Gaga's Paparazzi. I have to admit that I'm turned off. That, and knowing that my parents are watching TV behind me doesn't dispose me towards watching the full version. Reminds me of the time I watched a concert of a rock band which name escapes me. I only remember the stage being grand, outlandishly outfitted, complete with a giant glittering ball over the stage. (Googling "rock concert giant glittering ball" throws up Pink Floyd, which I'm inclined to believe in lieu of me remember the name Swee Keng dropped). The lead singer was wearing some sort of pink/purple leotard that has a giant U-shaped low cut cut all the way down the front to the waist. My jaw dropped, and SK looked at me askance, remarking, "You don't know meh? They all used to dress like that." I prefer my music less...mind-blowing.

I don't have to take things all the way. I can pick what I can, and leave the rest. While this might fare well in my dealings with this world, I don't think it'll bring me very far with God.