I DREAMED A DREAM
Today was a long, hard day:
Longer than the line for the water cooler on a hot summer day,
and harder than the sun baked clods of dirt in a barren field.
As I laid my head upon my pillow, I dreamed a dream.
And lo, my heart was an ancient artesian well; recently redigged; recently reclaimed.
For many years, so many years, the well had been stopped up:
filled with dirt, stones, and foul debris by a vicious enemy.
The well, once idled for far too long,
now once again brought life to many;
(even) carried refreshment to a multitude.
The pure, clear, cooling waters gurgled, gushed and poured forth like the tears of joy
flowing from the eyes of a broken, sin-sick soul, restored anew,
as he reflects upon the prospect of a new lease on a fruitful life.
As I awoke in the morning,
as I arose to the light of a new day,
I mused upon what I had seen;
I reflected upon what I had heard,
And a smile slowly spread across my face.
Today was a long, hard day:
Longer than a marathon,
and harder than the pavement on the interstate.
As I lay my head upon my pillow, I dreamed a dream.
And lo, I found myself exchanging boots of lead for eagle’s wings,
And the fields of mud, muck and mire for open and clear, blue skies.
My heart welled up to overflowing, in thankful praise to my Creator,
as I traversed the Heavens, and visited and communed with people
Whom I had never really known before, and went to places and saw things
And observed situations that I had never really seen before
(Although I was quite familiar with them all!).
Everything was awash in a new and living Light.
All was as new from this higher vantage point.
As I awoke in the morning,
As I arose to the light of a new day,
I mused upon what I had seen;
I reflected upon what I had heard,
and a deep joy and laughter arose from the depths of my heart,
spilling over across my lips in a mirthful, loud outburst!
Today was a long, hard day:
Longer than the wait for spring in the dead of winter,
and harder than bidding farewell to a dear, old friend.
As I lay my head upon my pillow, I dreamed a dream.
And lo, I found myself sitting across the table from a once dear friend from years past
Whom I had deeply wounded;
even a close confidant whom I had greatly betrayed.
So enormous was my offense, and so long had the time passed,
That any hope of being reconciled had long since been extinguished.
My fears conspired with my feet to run away,
But my heart told me to be still.
As I reluctantly looked into the eyes of this forsaken compadre of my youth,
I saw not the ice and steel of anger and vengeance,
but rather the oil and wine of compassion and mercy.
He then spoke the words that I never dreamt that I would ever hear:
“I forgive you, my brother; I love you; let the past be the past,
and let us move on together again!”
The warmth of his gentle eyes
broke the cold, hard chains and shackles of my shame.
His kind and loving words lifted me out of the dark, dank dungeon of my despair
And gave me hope.
As I awoke in the morning.
as I arose to the light of a new day,
A renewed sense of the Hope that is surer than the rising of the sun itself began to rise up within my heart.
From this same place within my inmost being
Came the words of the One Who lives forevermore
As He said to me:
“You have dreamt the dream; now live the life!!
“What you have seen and what you have heard, search it out in the Book
and see that these things be so!”
copyright 2008, -Ben A. Patterson
