The Dream

so i've been reading an interesting book, which deserves a blog all on it's own, but that's another day. but in the book the author tells of a dream he had. i recognized it as one that has been passed around on email multiple times, and the email has been wrong, and because of that, when i shared it with others, i've given the wrong story. so i appologize for that.

the author's dream is about finding himself in a room full of card filing cabinets. each drawer is labeled with things of his life, like "things he said," "jokes he laughed at," "people he's helped" etc. he figures out he's in the room that holds his life story and tries to get rid of the bad things that he did but destroying the cards but he can't do it, the cards can't be destroyed. then Jesus comes into the room and begins reading the cards and the author is filled with terror and greif. Jesus is saddened but writes His name over the cards in blood to the protest of the dreamer, and when He is done, He says, "it is finished," and leads them out of the room. in the book it is much more descriptive and elegant, but that is not what this blog is about. in the email i've heard that it was by a high school kid who wrote this as a class assignment, and after turning it in, died in a car accident. well, i guess that did not happen as the dreamer is still alive, so if anyone remembers this story, please check out the true version, it is by joshua harris.

but it was reading this that made me decide to write about what was probably the most terrifying experience i've had. it oddly enough isn't one of the "near misses" i've had in my life, though some of those were scarier than others. before beginning, i will note that it deals with the supernatural, which i know some people don't believe in. though i do believe in the supernatural (God, angels, demons), i don't know how much i should read into this.

this story takes place in the late winter of 2007, i can't remember exactly what day or month, but i think it was november or december, cuz i know it was cold outside.

i remember being awakened to the sound of my keys rattling. many thoughts ran through my mind at once. one was that my keys were attached to the belt loop on my pants which lay on the floor by my bed. another was that i was laying on my side facing a wall that didn't look quite right. i thought that i was at camp but the wall did not look right, but did fit my room at home and realized that i was actually at home rather than camp. and finally, that there was a strange feeling that someone was standing behind me in the open room.

i didn't want to turn to see if there was someone there, but almost felt like i should. just then i felt a gentle and cool breeze blow over my back. it was one of those breezes that comes in the summer when you are too warm, blowing in from the window lightly billowing the curtains and feels simply amazing. it was the most amazing breeze i had ever felt.

it was then that i realized it was winter, and the window was closed. as quickly as i thought it, the breeze turned icy cold and run all through me. i've heard that when a demon is around and working, the temperature seems oddly cold and frigid. i knew that there was a demon behind me and was about to turn to face it when it entered me. i tried to move but it seemed the demon was forcing me still, i couldn't move without great force. i tried to yell, but when i opened my mouth, nothing came out. my whole body began to tingle, and though it didn't hurt, it wasn't pleasant. i managed to force my arms apart slightly and perhaps even turn a little. in my mind i was yelling at the demon to leave, calling out in the name of Jesus to cast it out. it did after a few traumatizing moments, but it did leave, and i relaxed. and then i woke up.

it really had been a dream within a dream. i've had those before, but this one, dream within a dream or not, was the most realistic one i could remember. it was 4:30 in the morning when i actually woke up, and i had two more hours to sleep, but i was afraid to go back to bed. i stayed up for half an hour and prayed fervently. i did eventually drift back to sleep, and have not had another dream like it since. i was definately scared, thankfully it was only a dream. i don't know what the dream means, if anything, but one thing i can affirm is that there is power in Jesus name.