Tsunami Dream
In this dream, we are at a beach. It isn’t an open, endless shoreline, but a relatively small, enclosed area surrounded by walls and a door. It’s smaller than a real beach, yet still large enough for the size of the group that is there. I faintly remember my mom and Jordan being there. There is also a child with us, though I can’t clearly tell if the child is my son. I can see my dad very clearly and a few other people around too.
Suddenly, within seconds, some of us notice a massive, black wave coming toward us — like a tsunami. It’s dark, heavy, and terrifying. One by one, we all realize what is happening, and panic sets in. We rush toward the door, but for some reason, the door is shut. As we move toward it, one of us receives what feels like divine wisdom and picks up the child. At the same time, we begin calling on God as we run. The wave comes, but it doesn’t hit us with the force it should have. Given how it looked, it should have completely destroyed us — but it didn’t.
My mom and dad are near me. We are still enclosed within the walls and door of this beach when we suddenly realize that another huge, black tide is forming, ready to wash over us again.
Everyone understands that the only reason we were safe the first time was because God kept us safe. We all rush toward the door again. Some of us try to open it, but it is locked — locked in a way that feels final, as if no human strength can open it. I try to open it myself and immediately think, “What was I thinking? This is far too strong for me.” I couldn’t help but wonder, “Did I mess up? Did I waste the chance of a man being able to open it?” In my mind, men are stronger at doing such things. Another adult tries as well, but the door doesn’t even shake.
Everyone is focused on opening the door — everyone except my dad.
He turns away from the wave, facing the opposite direction, and begins to act in authority in Christ. There is a massive metallic stairway attached to the wall. My dad grabs onto it firmly. I don’t know if he is praying, declaring, or doing something else, but it is clearly a spiritual act — an authoritative gesture. Then something incredible happens.
The wave — just one single, enormous tide — stops. It rises and stands still, piling up like a wall of water, just like the Red Sea when it was parted. As soon as I realize what is happening, I ask someone to pull out a phone and record it so we can keep it as a testimony of what God has done. At the same time, I realize what I should be doing. I turn away from the wave, rotating my body 180 degrees, and I join my dad. I begin calling on God intensely, with everything in me. The wave slowly moves forward again, but this time it only washes over our feet. There is zero damage — none at all. I wondered if we got enough on camera to show people out there — the ones not in the enclosed beach with us — what we had just experienced. It felt like we had something recorded, but I wasn’t sure if it was enough to capture the Red Sea moment. All of this happened in seconds, yet there were so many details to it. Then I woke up.
Interpretation
I woke up praising God with such confidence in who He is, what He can do, and what He has done.
FATHER: My dad in the dream symbolizes our Heavenly Father, who is with me and close to me. It’s the Father’s job to open the door, and what He opens, no man can shut — and when He closes it, no one can open it. There was a time I tried to figure things out on my own, but there are doors only God can open.
The Father in the dream also represents my earthly father, who was showing us how to stand in the authority we have in Jesus Christ. (See Wave/Tsunami and Staircase below.)
Revelation 3:8 ESV
“I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”
DOOR: In this scene, when I thought a man would be better equipped, I wasn’t only looking at the natural — I was immediately discrediting myself. I was looking for perfection in myself and thinking I didn’t have what it takes to open the door. In the natural, I have a tendency to overthink things, and that includes thinking less of my own abilities.
WAVE/TSUNAMI: Note the color. Because it was black, it represents an attack from the enemy. Had it been clear, one would need to look at the context of the dream, but it would typically represent an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In this case, I knew it was an attack — we were in danger — and I had to stop looking at the wave, which represents the danger: the problems and challenges of life, the chaos, tribulations, and temptations. I need to keep my eyes on Jesus and walk in the authority of my Heavenly Father, just as my earthly father was doing in the dream. He exhibited total confidence in the Lord by turning away from the danger and the problem, looking heavenward, and holding onto the One in control — God Almighty.
METALLIC STAIRCASE: Leads to God’s glory, heavenly places, His power, and His anointing. My dad was the only one who recognized the staircase. His eyes were on Jesus rescuing us, and he saw the path the Lord had opened up. We were looking at what was in the natural — the door — but my dad saw what was supernatural. Once I turned my eyes heavenward, focused on God and not the problem, I saw a way of escape too. I began to see things God’s way, not my own.
Like David, who went with confidence in the Lord his God and saw what nobody else saw in order to defeat Goliath, I must be confident in God and God alone — His power, His might, and His plans. (1 Samuel 17:45)
180-DEGREE TURN: Turning from doing things my way and letting God lead. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” — Proverbs 16:9
MOBILE PHONE: The part where I ask someone to take out the phone to record symbolizes what God is doing in this season — it is to be recorded as a testimony for others and to encourage them. It is not for me alone. God’s Word says in Mark 16:20, “And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.”
I definitely need to continue praying to see if God is saying something specific about something that’s about to happen or has already happened. But as I pray and seek the interpretation, I’m praising God for His protection. Thank you, Lord!
Just last week I prayed, “Lord, I’m not scared of suffering as long as I am in Your presence. Feeling distant from You is the worst thing that can happen to me.” I think this dream is something of an answer to that prayer.
Thank you for closing the door, Abba. Thank you that in the closed door, I can experience an intimacy with You that I cannot when the door is open. Thank you that in the midst of turmoil, I can see Your magnificent hand, Your might, and Your power.
You shut the door of the ark that Noah made.
As a final note, God also spoke to me through this dream about the challenges I’ve had with surrender. I need to learn to trust His promise that He is with me no matter what, rather than trusting my feelings. In the dream, I was looking for a way out using only what I could see with my natural eyes — and in life, I can do the same.
I had felt distant from God in the past few weeks because I wasn’t surrendering to Him what He had asked of me. God had wanted me to surrender television — to watch less of it. I knew He wanted me to reduce how much I watch each day. I found it difficult to surrender because I focused on what was lacking around me and in me, rather than what was lacking on the inside. This dream was God revealing that the way is not from without, but from within. In the natural, this looked like taking more time to watch television to find peace and serenity, when what I really needed was simply more of Him. I was trying to find my own way out of the door — out of the chaos and challenges — instead of remaining in Him.
“Lord, I want to continuously be in alignment with You regarding the time I spend on entertainment, but more than that, I want to remain in You.” — John 15
You are my source, my support, my comfort, my stronghold, my strength, my goal, my destiny, my miracle, my Lover — and most importantly, my Bridegroom who is coming back for a pure bride. I only want to walk through doors that You open and close. I seek obedience, not perfection.
Thank you, Lord, for this dream, Your presence, Your protection, and Your guidance. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thumbnail by: TyliJura
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