Reality Check

Before I woke up this morning I was having quite an unusual dream. Even the atmosphere within the dream was rather unusual, and a friend and I begun floating upwards.. As we reached the ceiling I realized that the strange atmosphere was due to the world drawing to a close and us floating upwards was because the rapture was taking place! Stunned that the world was ending so soon, but excited that I was taking part in the rapture I did all I could to get through the ceiling, for some reason there were "slots" in there... Failing to pass through the slots, I beckoned my friend to come outside with me so we could soar into the sky properly. Before leaving I came across my mother and sister in the living room, realizing something was happening. They spoke of the rapture and noticed they were slowly floating upwards and together we went outside.. We soared.. It was beautiful..

Up above, we were in a room, happily conversing, people around us, the presence of the Lord apparent. As I walked around, quiet and observant, I noticed an old friend of mine. She'd been Muslim the last time we'd spoken.. I was so happy to see her, and she was so full of life, full of joy, chatting blissfully. I thought to myself how awesome it was to have so many loved ones here, all a part of the rapture. I had about 4 good Christian friends with me, but I couldn't help but wonder where my luke-warm-Christian friends were. And where my father and brother was..

I had a flashback to how moments before the rapture (still during the dream) I was doing something I wouldn't usually do... making out with some guy.. a wild friend. It was as though I'd just given in.. "It's not like I do this often anyway" seemed to be the justifying thoughts I'd had at the time.  I immediately felt sick to my stomach as I thought back at that moment, and remorseful.. Did I really deserve to be a part of this rapture? I felt so... sinful. But mostly, I felt lucky. Lucky that the Lord had allowed me to be a part of the rapture, even though I didn't deserve to be. And that's when it hit me... this is what grace is.

 As I woke up from my dream, all that was running through my head was "grace". It all felt so real.. I tried to describe this grace to myself, this unfathomable, abundance of grace and the very first thing that came to mind was "amazing grace". As soon as the words came, something clicked in my mind! And there was a brilliant moment where I trully understood how John Newton felt when he wrote the song, Amazing grace. Each lyric now, made more sense than ever. It was all so tangible now.. It was no longer just some message preached about at church, some song we sung during praise and worship. No. It was a reality. A beautiful reality. 

And although it was all a dream : the heated scene, the rapture.. and although the message of grace was the main feature in all this, I felt so encouraged to pursue purity, now more than ever. 

Also, I can't help but wonder.. my dad... my brother.. my other friends.. where were they? In as much as it would be a victorious day when the rapture does come and I am taken to my maker, I do not want to mourn  for my loved ones who are left behind. My former muslim friend? Someone must have led her to Christ! Someone must have prayed for her! I want to be that someone who prays for others... That someone who smiles when they spot those people they prayed for, evangelized to and fought for in that special room. I want.. to do something meaningful, not for me, but all for Christ.

~Hannah