The Shining House

Back when I was barely hanging on, busy with 5 littles and a part-time teaching career, often feeling inadequate and inept, I started having a recurring dream. In this dream I would be wandering around and come across a vast, shining, splendid house. 

Admiring its beauty, I would walk hesitantly to the front door and knock. When no one answered, I would push on the door and it would open. The beauty inside was breathtaking. Light poured into high-ceilinged rooms with clean white walls and sweeping staircases. No one was there, so I wandered on through the house, marveling as each room was more beautiful than the next.

Then I reached a spacious room, the most beautiful of all. One whole wall was covered with windows, looking out over a gorgeous vista of flowers and trees and mountains and sea. I was walking toward the windows, in awe of the beauty, when I realized there were others in the room. Several handsome figures approached me, shining themselves as this whole house shone.

I was suddenly and completely embarrassed. “I’m so sorry,” I mumbled, my head cast down. “I didn’t know. I didn’t realize this is your house. I’ll leave now. Please forgive me. I know I don’t belong here.”

The shining people smiled broadly, their arms outstretched. “Don’t worry, you are just confused.” Reassured, I ventured to look up as they continued. “This isn’t our house. It is yours!”

They gestured toward the room, the house, the magnificent view. “This is all yours. We were just taking care of it until you found your way here. It has always been yours. But you must take possession of it and use it.”

Then I would wake up. And think about those words. “You must take possession and use it.”

I still do think about that dream. I wonder how often we settle for living our lives in a metaphorical hovel, thinking that is all we deserve, thinking that we are not capable of doing more, of being more. We downplay our abilities and settle for much less than we are capable of.

But actually God has such great and wonderful plans for us. He knows what we can do, the light and beauty we are capable of. If we let Him, He will lead us on to find the glorious, shining mansion where we belong.