Puddle Jumping

I had a dream, or a series of dreams, last night. I dreamt that I was at a gathering with the Robertsons (of Duck Dynasty fame). And in this dream, Jace Robertson could fly a puddle jumper plane; if you don’t know what a puddle jumper is, they are planes that are made for trips to small or regional airports, and be outfitted to take off and land on water and land. I do not think Jace flies one in real life, but the dream was pretty explicit that, in this case, he did. He had one caveat: he would only take people to places if they were absolutely ready to go. In this dream, or series of dreams, I would, at times, be in the back seats, or sometimes in the co-pilot’s chair, but every time, I observed Jace pouring the Gospel in to people as they went to their destination, and on the way back, he would pour in to me. I woke up several times in the night (probably after each destination) and when I went back to sleep, I would continue on as if the dream never ended. And in finally waking up, I came to a conclusion about many things.

Over the last several months, I’ve been depressed. In spite of that, the Holy Spirit has used me, and there is evidence of it. Yet, several men who have mentored me and taken me under their wings have all gone on to be with the Lord. Family has suddenly and shockingly gone on. Financial weights have been thrown at me. Folks have said unkind and untrue things about me, and others treat me more like an employee of the Church than a fellow servant and brother in Christ. And, though I’ve been praising God because the enemy has been attacking me heavily, I’m also feeling the weight of it. God is using all of it to stretch me out and prepare me for the growth in ministry that is already here and is also coming.

I realized in this series of dreams I need to be mentored still, and I need to mentor; none of us ever do this alone. I need to intimately and intentionally lead people to the destination, Jesus Christ, and do so with brothers in Christ who are on the same mission, and I don’t always need to be in the pilot’s or even co-pilot’s seat to do it! We’re all on a journey but, just as Jesus did with the 11 (faithful) apostles, and Paul did with Timothy, Titus, and so many others, and Peter did with Mark, and faithful witnesses have done for millennia, I need to guide and be guided toward Christ. We’re all on a short trip, from one region to the next. But the only way home is through Jesus. So, be ready, and let’s get there together!

2 Corinthians 1:8-11

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

2 Timothy 3

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.