Old Friend from Childhood

Dear Marsha,

Here’s a dream for you.  I dreamed:

I was with a friend, she was an old friend from childhood. Leslie. I was on the toilet which also had a bed beside it.  She was on it.  I remember thinking she had an awful mess in her home because there was a half-eaten spare-rib and small corn on the cob on the floor next to the toilet.

I remember thinking my house was not nearly as messy as I thought.

She was talking on and on about her mental illness and suffering.

Then, we were walking to her car. She looked at her phone and said, “Friggin Raisin.”  Then I realized she was saying the name of her ex-husband, Reyes. We got in the car and I sat in the back seat. She began texting and driving, so I panicked and told her to please stop.  She refused. I got so afraid I told her to pull over so I could get out. She left me by this blue bridge I could walk over.  I lived just right over that bridge.

What is the meaning of this dream?

Olive

 

Dear Olive,

Let’s look at some of these symbols.

 

An old childhood friend = something/someone alongside you in your childhood

Leslie = from the low meadow / remembered (see The Name Book by Dorothy Astoria)

Toilet = a place to get rid of toxins and wastes in your life

Bed = a place of privacy (Micah 2:1); those in relationship with (of like mind with) (Is 57:7)

Meat = mature spiritual learning (Gen 9:3, Heb 5:12-14)

Spare-rib = sparse mature spiritual learning

Corn = amount of God’s seed

Floor = foundation

House = you, your personal life and relationships

Walking = going in the direction of

Car =ministry/work

Phone = spiritual line of communication (uses “air” waves – air=spiritual)

Raisin = dried-up “fruit” (results)

Ex-husband = one used to be in close/intimate covenant with

Reyes = counselor (see The Name Book by Dorothy Astoria)

Back seat = not in control

Texting and driving = carelessly in control

Bridge = a transition period

Blue = depression

Now, just for fun, let’s substitute the symbolic meanings into the dream. This is going to read very sloppy and be difficult.  If you don’t want to go through this process, skip on down to the “paraphrasing”.

I was with something/someone alongside me in my childhood. From the low meadow / remembered. I was on the place to get rid of toxins and wastes in my life which also had a place of privacy/those in relationship with (of like mind with) beside it.  Something/someone alongside me in my childhood was on it.  I remember thinking something/someone alongside me in my childhood had an awful mess in the home because there was sparse mature spiritual learning and small amount of God’s seed on the foundation next to a place to get rid of toxins and wastes in my life.

I remember thinking my personal life and relationships was not nearly as messy as I thought.

Something/someone alongside me in my childhood was talking on and on about something/someone alongside me in my childhood’s mental illness and suffering.

Then, something/someone alongside me in my childhood and I were going in the direction of something/someone alongside me in my childhood work. Something/someone alongside me in my childhood looked at something/someone alongside me in my childhood spiritual line of communication and said, dried-up results.  Then I realized something/someone alongside me in my childhood was saying the name of one used to be in close/intimate covenant with something/someone alongside me in my childhood. I sat not in control. Something/someone alongside me in my childhood began carelessly in control, so I panicked and told to please stop.  Something/someone alongside me in my childhood refused. I got so afraid I told her to pull over so I could get out. She left me by this depression transition period I could walk over.  I lived just right over that transition period.

 

To paraphrase this, this interpretation might be saying:

You are being “visited” by an “old friend from childhood (memories of suffering leading to depression). This happens while you are in a place of rest (bed) and a place of getting rid of toxic/wasteful things (toilet) from your past.  You realize this brings remembrances of mess and sparseness of the “meaty” teachings (spare-rib half-eaten) of Jesus and it brings small amounts of things to grow on (seed=corn).  You begin to believe your current situation is not as bad as you thought when you compare it to the past. You are in the back seat (not actively choosing this direction).  You dislike the way this is going, so you “get off the ride”. You are left in a depressing transition time but know that you just need to walk through it.

 

A more simple paraphrase might be:

You are remembering suffering from your childhood and how you didn’t get strong teachings of Jesus.  In looking back, you realize your current situation is not as bad as you thought.  It’s depressing to think back on these things and it puts you in a depression for a time until you can drop it again.

 

 

 

 

 

With an Old Love, Lamenting and Crying

Dear Marsha,

I had this dream on Thanksgiving morning. There were lots of family issues going on because of the holiday and this dream threw me for a loop amidst the chaos.  If you post it, please don’t use my name because I’m embarrassed about it.  But I would like to have your input.  Here are some background information about my real life that might help in understanding the dream.  

 

The guy in my dream was a guy I only went out with once in my past.  It was many, many years ago, in high school.  I was always secretly in love with this guy back in high school, but we never really dated.  We liked each other as friends, but I think our shyness, and the timing, kept us from being together.  I’ve forgotten about him for the most part.  I’ve since married and have four children. He is also married with children and lives in a different state.  It’s rare (maybe once every two years) that I even think of him, and that’s always because of some reminder that triggered the thought. There’s been nothing recently to bring him to mind.  So out of the blue, I dreamed about him like this.  What is going on?

 

 Here’s the dream:

 

I was with my old love. Together, we were watching a big game of some sort.  I had a hoodie on, and he sat next to me with his arm around me, holding me close.  I started intensely telling him I wish we’d gotten together years ago.  I know he is sad for my sadness, and also a little that it didn’t work out for us, but he doesn’t know what to say.  I know he’s thinking of his wife and kids. I know this is the life that he has is the life he chose, and still wants.  I think of my own kids and husband, and know I’d not give them up, either.  I say, “But, I wouldn’t change anything now.”

 

I want to be perky and happy, so he’ll enjoy being with me.  Especially since I could tell I was making him uncomfortable.  But I start sobbing in grief and can’t stop.  I get up and go to the rest room to pull myself together.  When I come back, determined to keep a happy face, he’s gone.  I can’t find him.

 

I wake up.

 

L.L.

 

Hi L.L., Marsha here!

I won’t even use your real initials, but I’m glad you sent this in.  It’s a great one to look at.
I’ve prayed and believe this is not at all about this guy. Here are some reasons I believe this:

1.       I don’t believe this is a Soul Dream about you desiring this guy.  Remember, a Soul Dream is a dream created from your own Soul, which is your mind, will, and emotions.

 

a.       your Mind (the paradigm through which you view the world);

 

b.      your Will (your wants and ambitions);

 

c.       your Emotions (your love, fears, hurts).  

 

I don’t believe this dream is a Soul dream about you desiring this guy because of the information you have given me of your past, and current situation.  You are NOT still thinking about him a lot.  You are NOT obsessing about him.  Instead, he was in the past.  If this were a Soul dream, there would most likely be some ongoing emotional issues you were having about this guy.

 

2.       Often, in dreams, a person will be in the dream because of the meaning of his name.  But, since the Lord placed it on your heart to describe the guy in the dream by relationship, not by name (in fact…you never even gave me his name} I believe this dream is not at all about his name.  If it were, the Lord would have placed in you a need to give me his name. The Holy Spirit has a way of putting in our recitations of dreams the part that is important.

 

Therefore, I believe the guy in the dream is representative of your relationship with him. And, unlike most healthy relationships, I believe the guy represents an unrequited relationship – or to rephrase that:  this is representing relationships that is not what you desire them to be.  

 

Let’s look at the symbols:

 

Guy secretly in love with from the past – represents an old ‘love’ – probably not representative of a romantic love but of a great desire of your heart. The beloved relationship may be with a mother, father, sibling, (especially since the dream happened at Thanksgiving time – a time of family issues), or a friend.

 

Never got together with the love – an unrequited desire of your heart

 

Watching big game – in looking at life

 

Hoodie on – feelings have been hidden

 

Crying – grieving over it

 

He is sad for me and for us – the other person sees the distress in this relationship with you and is sad about it also

 

Interpretation:

 

I believe this dream is telling you that you are going through a time of looking at relationship(s) that are unrequited. I believe these may be family relationships, but not necessarily.  It’s saying, once again, you are falling back into a past pattern of grieving desired relationships that aren’t the way you want them. You know the way you want the relationship can’t happen because of circumstances and timing.  Still, you are unhealed and express this desire and pain so intensely that it has made it uncomfortable for those you want the relationship with, which causes that person, or them, to avoid you.  In other words, your reactions are making matters worse.

 

I love this dream, because I can relate to it myself, in my life circumstances.  We often find our need for love, or relationships embarrassing because we think it means we are not complete in ourselves, which is true. We are all designed by God to only be complete immersed in God’s love. 

 

Why did God give you this dream?  I would suggest it might be to help you see an issue more clearly that you are struggling with.  Showing it in this oddly personal way can help us see it through different eyes.  Possibly God is helping you heal and face relational issues differently.

 

I would challenge you to ‘lay down’ expectations on whatever relationship issue you are dealing with.  Accept the relationship as it is, accepting that person for who they are, and accepting the limitations they have in relating to you.  Rethink – speaking to them in that intense way the dream portrays.  Accept them as they are. Try to stop grieving things that cannot be.  No longer lament over them.  Read Ps 36 and Ps 23.  Fill relational voids in your life by understanding the depth of God’s love for you.

Heavy stuff.  I’ll be praying for you.
Marsha

 Readers:  This reply was emailed to the dreamer prior to posting.  An immediate response from the dreamer was received as follows:

 

 Dear Marsha,

 

Thank you so much. I guess I should really say thank you to God for giving me this dream.  I know exactly what this is about. I have been struggling with some family relationship problems.  I now know that I have a responsibility to not insist they fix themselves, but rather to work on my own reaction to it. God bless you.

 

L.L.

Dear L.L.
I repeat, I can relate very much to this dream, as I’m sure most readers can.  I’ll be praying for you.
Marsha

 

 

 

My Car Stolen with My Kids in it

 

So I had the worst dreams last night.  Then, I woke up and went to sleep again and had a slightly different version. 
 
 I was at a gas station and my car got stolen and the first time just my son was inside and it ended up being an ex-boyfriend who thought it was funny and he was trying to ask me out.  Anyway, I go back to sleep and dreamed I was out of town and at a gas station and someone stole my car again.  This time my son and also my daughter were in it.  It was horrible!!!!  I felt so helpless and scared. 
 
The first time I woke up and felt reassured it was just a dream,  but then I  went right back to it again.  Does this mean anything?
Nadia
 
Interpretation:
Who or what is the focus of the dream?  It is your car.   Without he car this dream would not have happened.  So what does the car represent?  A car may represent your life, your work, or your ministry.  
The Sub-focus in this dream is the theft. 
If a car is your life, then theft of the car may be symbolic for someone else taking over your life.  Note: the car is not destroyed…so I don’t believe this is about something catastrophic happening to your life, instead, I believe it is speaking of your life being taken control of by others.
 
So let’s look at the details of the dream:
  • gas station- place where life, work gets refueling or perked up
  •  my son, my daughter –  your kids
  •  ex-boyfriend – an old “love” from the past …possibly something you loved in the past that is not good for you  (i.e.: smoking, etc. ) 
  •  thought it was funny – original intent is to be “pleasure”
  • trying to ask me out – trying to get back into your life
    Who is stealing your car (or trying to take control of your life)?  Is it really an old boyfriend?  I don’t think so.  I believe the metaphor of the old boyfriend is used to symbolize  something  in the past that you loved but wasn’t good for you.  I think this is confirmed by the second dream…there is no “old boyfriend” in the second dream. 
     
    I believe this dream says that while you are trying to perk up things, your life / work may be taken over by an old situation/or an old thing from the past that you used to love doing but isn’t really good for you.  This is intended to be fun and give pleasure, but it will result in taking over your life and affecting your children.
     
    Note:  Think about what is happening in your life.  Has there been something you’ve started doing or someone you’ve started hanging around again (not necessarily a boyfriend – possibly someone that has not been good for you in the past).  You may want to re-think it…or be on guard.  The Lord may be warning you to be careful not to let someone take over your life / work because not only will you be upset, but the children will be affected.
Follow-up:
Nadia’s response after receiving the interpretation:
Wow! I definitely see how that can fit into what’s happening in my life.  Hmmmmm amazing!