I'm Telling: The Holy Ghost Dream That Spoke Purpose

When it comes to seeking out my purpose in life, I am no different from millions of others on the very same mission. We hunt for something to fill a void in our heart; something to speak meaning into our lives. Our worldly pursuit leads us to believe our dream job or our perfect mate will end the aching and longing for a meaningful, purposeful life. Often, we become so lost during our pursuit that we have to turn to someone else to find the answer. Other times, our purpose is forced upon us. There are many ways we come to discover what it is that brings meaning to our life. Have you identified your life’s purpose?

Each of us is born with a gift, a skill, a passion, which outshines the rest. My passion for writing began at a very young age. I remember practicing writing my name over and over, just for fun. Since the age of eight years old, I knew I had a story to tell. This is when I began keeping a diary. My third grade teacher, Mrs. Taylor, had an old Smith-Corona typewriter sitting on the counter in the back of her classroom. I could not wait to spend time typing on it. In order to do so, my class work had to be completed. Out of all my childhood school memories, this is the one that stands out, as it brought me such joy. That Christmas, as I wrote to Santa, I made sure a typewriter was at the top of my list. That was all I really wanted. Sure enough, Santa came, and he delivered a large, old, gray, Smith-Corona typewriter, stand and all. The picture in our family photo album shows the joy in my heart.

Aside from the written word, math was another subject I always excelled in. With the worldly guidance from my math teacher, and the desire to rise out of an impoverished life, I took the path of an accountant rather than a writer. Through the years, journaling expanded into poetry and short stories. Project ideas kept pouring in, mostly from life experiences and vivid dreams. Next thing I knew, my stories came with an urgency to share what God has done in me and for me.

The Holy Spirit loves to wake me up at 3:00 a.m. Usually, God has something to tell me, so my journal sits readily on my bedside table. More often, though, He lets me sleep and comes to me in my dreams. Have you ever had a dream where the Holy Spirit appeared in human form and looked right into your eyes? That is what happened in this dream I'm about to share with you.

This was a day of celebration. Today was my mother's wedding day. A small group of family and friends gathered at my mother's house. Everyone was casually dressed. The ceremony was staged inside a small, enclosed patio, in my mother's backyard. There were no more than ten people present. We all sat on tables, not chairs, as we waited for the bride and groom to exchange their wedding vows. The tables were like old patio tables, or game tables. Everyone was barefoot, and casually dressed. We sat on the edge of these tables, swinging our bare feet. At first, I could only see my mother and the groom from behind. The bride looked like my mother and the groom looked like my father. This was quite strange because my mom and dad divorced when I was very young. My father had hair as white as snow, which was not unusual. As we anticipated the beginning of the ceremony, my father turned his head toward me. The rough, aged characteristics of my father's face were now a haze of light. In an audible voice, He said, "Tell them...Romans 10."

That was it. That was all he said. I woke from the dream, searching for my bible. As I repeated the words over and over and looked through my dresser for my bible, I realized I'd never even read the book of Romans. At that time, I wasn't even in the Word. There had been no recent discussion of Romans or the bible. I was not even attending church regularly. As I opened my old bible, The Book, I was searching for the scripture. As I reflected on the dream, I laughed and thought, "Wow, I didn't just get a scripture, but a whole chapter!" I decided to read the entire book of Romans. It was 3:00 a.m. Later on in the years, and even today, this is the Lord's time of fellowship with me.

What stopped me in my tracks was when I came to Romans 10:10-15, which reads, "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”

This came to be my purpose. It was not until several years later when I realized the significance of the dream. The words would return to my mind over the years. It was not until I really was seeking God that my eyes were finally opened to the purpose He's called me to; telling others of God's love, mercy, and grace; telling others of the hope, forgiveness, and salvation available through Jesus; telling others of what He has done in me and for me; telling my story, giving all the glory to God.