Dreams

It is said that old men dream dreams and young men have visions. My entire life, I have had dreams so realistic that when I wake up, I must sort out what is real and what was a dream. I guess at my stage of life at 63 years old, I no longer have visions but colorful dreams. Last night was no exception.

I walked into an elaborate room with a large table that could seat an unknown number of people. The table looked first-class and promised a meal that would satisfy the soul as well as the stomach. In the center of the table were large vases that held flowers so colorful that words fail to describe their beauty. As a crowd of people entered the room, each one claimed a chair. I sat down among people I had never met but felt like I had known them my whole life. The oldest person there looked like they were not a day over 30 years old. There were younger people there as well. The young man who sat across the table from me looked to be about my age, 30 years old. I could see that we had a lot in common, even though we had never met or even said a word to each other.

Waiters brought out the appetizers. I don’t recall what they were, but I do remember them being delicious. The food tasted so good that it was hard to compare to what we are used to eating. I caught the eye of the young man across the table and said, “Hi, I am Bill. What is your name?” He replied, “Joseph, but you can call me Joe.” The next thing I asked surprised me: “When did you live and what did you do?” The question did not shock Joe, but it seemed like he had been asked this many times. “I lived in the 5th century according to the calendar that you are familiar with. I took care of horses and repaired wagons and carts. I loved working on the carts. Working with my hands made me feel useful and alive. What about you?” I replied, “I lived in the 20th and 21st centuries. I also loved working with my hands and felt alive when working on mechanical things. I loved working on car projects and repairing my family’s cars.” “What is a car?” he asked. I explained that, in my time, motor vehicles were common, and we could travel long distances in a day. In the dream, the conversation sort of faded as we continued to talk and enjoy the fabulous meal. I wanted to learn more about this man’s life, and he was curious about everything I talked about. It was amazing how we were separated by centuries, yet were all together now for eternity.

As I look back and try to figure out what this dream was about, I believe it was a sliver of a look into what we can expect in Heaven.