When That Dream, Full of Promise, Comes

Jacob had to get “”out of Dodge.”” His brother Esau was furious with him after Jacob stole his birthright. On the run he came to a place called Luz and there laid his head on a stone. He had such a powerful dream of God’s presence and promise that in the morning he renamed the place Bethel-house of God.

Perhaps you and I have overwhelming moments of a comforting presence. One such experience came to me when my son towed the boat which I had built to the river. Once launched, as he parked the trailer and got his daughter, I had an overwhelming rush of pleasure, a sense of fulfillment, a guarantee that life was good again. No dream here, but hopes of many months finally realized, and life in the dream which is the Thousand Islands, mine again.

Jacob’s dream anchored him through many trials and mischief in his future. When we recall a comforting presence in the past, not knowing how things will turn out doesn’t seem so terrible. If one hope is realized, why not another?

Thank you, God, for giving us a practiced hope. Seeing that things turn out in our past mellows us in our present journey. Amen. — KC