The Gift of a Dream

I had another dream about Joe the other night. He was a healthy young adult and was scheduled to speak to a large audience—I think at a church. I was there before he arrived. Many people were milling about, and there was a buzz of anticipation in the air.

In my dream I wondered if I should have met with him ahead of time, to give him a few pointers and maybe help choose what he should wear...

I saw him stride into the room in slacks and a sport coat, smiling… He initiated a handshake with someone and started chatting right away. He exhibited a quiet but friendly confidence, mingling with people before the event, and I realized (with no small amount of parental pride and satisfaction) that he doesn’t need me to mother him anymore.

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As I’ve mentioned before, I never knew Joe as a healthy adult. He was diagnosed with stage IV brain cancer at the age of twenty, when he was still figuring out his next steps in life. His strength, dexterity, speech, and even mental acuity declined over the next three years, and I lost the chance to see him all grown up.

So as you may imagine, this dream was a great comfort to me. It may have only reflected my own subconscious hopes and dreams for him, but I will accept it as a gift. Because of what I know of Joe—his intelligence, his talent, his interest in bringing out the best in people, and most of all, his character, I know he would have done just fine as an adult.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles... —II Corinthians 1:3-4