Coping with Waking Difficulties While Asleep

Gentle readers, I imagine some are either confused or disturbed that this column occasionally fields questions about dreams. Part of the reason for this is our dreams often are us attempting to sort through our waking difficulties, the kind someone might, say, write a stranger with a blog for advice about. 😉 In addition, while nearly lost, in the bible, God spoke to his people in dreams, from Joseph, son of Jacob, to Joseph, step-father of Jesus, and still does today. Even human-inspired dreams are helpful to discerning the heart. As well, a certain segment of the population is going to be curious, and I’d rather, if they’re going to seek this kind of advice, they seek godly counsel from a brother or sister in Christ, and that is what I seek to offer. For more information, see Principles of Christian Dream Interpretation

Andrea, my husband and I are separated. I had the following dream:

I was in the house and heard him, very clearly, talking on the phone to his sister. I never saw him. But when I woke up it was as if he was here.

Second portion of this dream. There was a square table and I knew that it belonged to him. On the top of the desk their was a square section that was shiny and bright. From the right hand corner to the left corner at the top of the desk there was a very distinct line of dust. On the left hand side from the top to the bottom there was also a line of dust. It was as if something had been on the table for a long time and then removed.

Third portion: I looked out the window and a friend of mine was sitting in my driveway in her van. There was also a white van backed up to my door and people were loading my belongings into it.

Blessings,

Pats

His sister may represent you, or some aspect of yourself (or a third party) held in common with her, probably the trait that most stands out to you about her. You husband, likewise, may not be your husband. If you’re a believer, he could represent your old life, before Christ, or some aspect of yourself you feel separated from. If you were recently separated, the dream could be just your unconscious’s way of expressing the pain of having your “other half” suddenly gone from your life. Has anything else gone missing from your life or have you suffered any physical losses?

For that matter, houses generally represent ourselves in reference to the physical body that houses the soul. Are you suffering any physical ailments? A broken heart, I suspect. Could that be what was missing from the table? You gave him your heart once, so it could be seen as his possession. The moving could represent a fear or threat of death, perhaps figuratively, but it could also be a reference to people pressuring you to “move on with your life.” The emotions you felt as you watched all this will be important indicators. I’m detecting sadness and regret.

If I’m correctly discerning, and the other possibilities mentioned don’t ring a bell, barring abuse or possibly adultery being involved, or a situation where he left and the risks of him just stomping on your heart some more are too great, I’d seriously pray about asking your husband to attend marriage counseling together to see if you can work things out. Otherwise, I’d suggest you talk with your pastor or a counselor, someone who will help you through this without placing undo pressure on you. Even if adultery wasn’t involved, if he left you and is unwilling to reconcile, unless your conscience says otherwise, you are probably free to “move on” if you chose. If it was you that actually left him, and no adultery is involved, you must, biblically, either remain alone or be reconciled to your husband. Either way, the tone of the dream, as far as I can tell, is indicating you’re still mourning the absence of your husband while others are trying to help you move on with your life. Has anyone tried to introduce you to a gentleman friend recently? If so, that could have been what prompted the dream.

I should add a square table can mean an altar, which could signal you’ve taken back something you had given to God and may be reinforcing your husband as an image of your relationship with the world/the flesh and be reminiscent of the command to give ourselves to god as a living sacrifice. If that’s the case, pray and get what’s missing back on the table.

In Christ’s Service,
Andrea Graham

Trackposted to Wake Up America, Perri Nelson’s Website, Permanent Floating Ping Festival, third world county, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate’s Cove, The Bullwinkle Blog, and Pursuing Holiness, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.