What have you been dreaming about lately?

I woke up this morning from a dream I was having.  It was a dream that made me feel frustrated, unprepared and nervous.  I dreamt that I had been drafted into the Marines and was commanded to prepare for a several day long march and I didn’t know what to take with me.  We were leaving shortly and the seasoned soldiers around me were ready to go, packs on their backs full of what they were going to need, and they weren’t being very helpful in providing me with some assistance.I felt lost and anxious, suspected that I was most likely going to mess this all up being unprepared, and as a result probably suffer for it…both verbally and physically.  I realized in my dream that I was not prepared for this march, and really had no idea of what to do.  My final memory of this dream was that all the other soldiers were taller than me, by maybe two feet.  I felt like a shrimp around these guys!  Good thing I woke up and it was just a nightmare, but I couldn’t help but think, “Where the heck did that come from?"

As I sat drinking coffee with my wife this morning and told her of my dream, she reminded me that I have that dream often, but it usually takes the form of me playing on a football team and that I am late in getting suited up for the game.  Everyone else is already in their uniforms stretching out on the field and I am still in the locker room trying to get my equipment and uniform on.  In that dream, I am frustrated not understanding how to wear some of the equipment, and know that I am going to upset the coach, the team and be embarrassed over lagging behind and arriving onto the field long after kickoff. 

I find that a lot of my “dreaming time” happens towards the end of my sleep; I’d guess within the last couple hours.  I don’t think I dream every night, but usually can remember the dreams pretty vividly right after I wake up.  My dreams can sometimes have a tendency to set my mood for the mornings as well.  I awake from the dream feeling discouraged, depressed or anxious and that can linger from just a few minutes to even longer into other times throughout the day. 

What about you?  Do you dream?  Are your dreams repetitive in nature?  Do you dream that you can fly?  I used to dream that a lot, but I was able to fly by using a swimming motion as I faced into a strong headwind.  How about dreaming about breathing underwater?  Do you dream of flying an airplane all by yourself with no instructions?  I do once in a while.  How about being held captive by a terrorist along with others?  I did once, boy was that scary!  Whatever you dream about, do you ever wonder what your dreams mean?  Is your subconscious mind trying to process something you are struggling with during your waking hours?  I wish I had a dream interpreter as a friend, one that I could trust with these dreams, so that I could learn what the heck they all mean. 

I remember Christmas shopping with my son a few years ago as he looked for a book at the bookstore for his future wife.  He ended up buying her a book about interpreting dreams.  As we glanced through the various dream books, reading about common dreams people have, he said, “I used to dream that one all the time”.  It was a dream about all his teeth falling out of his mouth.  I’ve had that dream too.  The book interpreted that dream, and for what it was worth, it seemed pretty interesting.  But is the interpretation trustworthy?  It’s hard to put a lot of trust in those books. 

In the Bible, Daniel not only had visions or dreams but he could also interpret dreams as well.  Interpreting the King’s dream actually saved his life and got him out of prison.  He was honest, trustworthy and could tell the dreamer what their dreams meant and the significance of them.  The bible also says in Proverbs that young men will have visions and the old will have dreams.  I guess that means that I qualify as being old now, right? 

I don’t think I have been given the gift of interpreting dreams; at least not like Daniel.  Can anyone interpret dreams out there?  Are you trustworthy and honest?  If so, what do you think my dreams mean?  I invite you to comment on the website if you have an opinion, but please be nice and don’t wound my heart. 

I think dreaming is good for all of us, even the ones that upset us.  I believe dreams are our subconscious minds trying to file significant events that have occurred recently in our lives or thoughts we have been having, into the database of our minds.  It is a challenge to discern the true meaning of dreams.  It would be nice to have a friend like Daniel in my life…at least it might help me understand what all of this means.  As we approach the lazy days of summer (will the good weather ever get here and stay?), with longer days and shorter nights, for what it’s worth I hope you have pleasant dreams!