Joel 2:28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” (NIV)
Normally, I’m not someone who will write about my dreams. Though I do keep a dream log. To tell the truth, I rarely write anything in it. However, recently, I’ve had a dream that I’d like to share.
In my dream, I was at the sink in my bathroom brushing my teeth. Suddenly, I saw in the mirror an angel was standing behind me. Being a dream, I was pretty nonchalant about it.
The angel did not say, “Fear not!” nor did he offer any salutations. Instead he said, “Do you remember the gold medal game in basketball at the 1972 Olympics?”
“Uh-huh,” I acknowledged. In real life I do remember the game. It was the first time the United States lost a basketball game at any Olympics. It was also quite controversial.
“Whose fault was it that the United States lost?” the angel asked me.
“Whose fault? It was terrible officiating! The officials gave the Soviets three chances to make a last second shot!”
The angel shook his head. “Actually there was supposed to be time on the clock according to the rules at that time. The officials were just trying to get it right. It just happened to give the Soviets three chances because the timekeeper wasn’t getting it right.”
“Well then,” I said, “It was the time keeper or the people who made the rules.”
“No…” The angel shook his head.
“You think it was the coach’s fault?” I asked doubtfully.
“No.”
“Then whose fault was it?” I really didn’t know what he was getting at.
“It was Bill Walton’s.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe what he said. At that time, Bill Walton was in the midst of being college basketball’s preeminent player. “Bill Walton wasn’t even there!”
“Exactly!”
With that I woke up. Now, let me say, I am not making a comment on the physical aspects of that 1972 game. However, what struck me about that dream was the notion that sometimes things occur that would (or otherwise shouldn’t) occur because we are not where we are supposed to be or doing what we should be doing. (That was a mouthful).
Sometimes less than desirable things happen because we are outright in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Of course, the flip side is true. Sometimes we are exactly where we are supposed to be, even in the most unpleasant and unfavorable situations.
I pray that the Lord give me the wisdom and the courage to follow my appointed path at the appointed time. Lord I thank all those who have chosen to follow the path you have set before them in the way you ordained.