Teresa Odden

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Dream of Irene, My Beloved Mother

My mother has been deceased for 19 years and it's very rare I have dreams of her. When I went to bed my mother's birthdate was the farthest thing from my mind. I woke up from a dream on the morning what would have been my mother’s birthday (October 7). 

DREAM:

It was a scene when I was in the 7th grade. My parents walked in the front door having just returned from the theatre. I asked them how the movie was and they said it was the dumbest movie they'd ever seen. End of dream.

The scene of them walking through the door was exactly as I remember it. I love this picture because I remember their exact words as they walked through the door, "that was the stupidest movie. Ridiculous". 

I have no doubt this was a God-dream. I took time to ponder this memory and the beauty of my mother's character. She was a woman of great strength and humility that carried our family through many difficult times. Proverbs 31:31

I have tried to live my life focusing on the positive memories, not the negative. No good thing comes from harboring hostility when others hurt us.

God uses "all things for good," and there is always joy in the midst of sorrow. Joy may come simply by recognizing that God is present in all things even if the situations don't change.  Sometimes I had to look harder to find something joyful. Romans 8:28

Another fond memory was on April 1. In America we call this "April Fools Day", which is a day to play tricks on one another. When I left the bathroom, my father had taken the door handle off. One might look at this as silly, but laughter filled the room and it was and is something I still cherish.

I didn't look at this dream on my mother's birthdate as a coincidence. God is all-good and all-powerful and does not operate by chance. Waking up with this dream was a special blessing from God for me. (See Dream Tips & Tools for more guidance how to distinguish a dream from a God-dream.)

Take time read some Bible verses that help us refocus on God's promises. Life with God isn't about luck, it's about grace. Psalm 30:5 states, " ... but His favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning".

Psalm 103:19, Proverbs 19:21, Matthew 19:26, Philippians 2:13, James 1:17