A Morning Reflection – Birthday Dream

A few weeks ago I celebrated my birthday.  It was on a Sunday and two of my three college-aged children were able to make it home for the weekend to help me celebrate.   This was the first birthday I have celebrated without my Mom.   She passed away in June after a valiant 16-month battle with cancer.  Mom always sent me a card with a check in it for my birthday and best of all she always called me on my birthday.  Of course this year, for the first time ever, none of that happened.   It was actually a couple of days later before I realized how much I missed hearing from Mom on my birthday.

Several weeks later,  my wife and I went to Gainseville to visit our daughter for a few hours.  She was receiving an award and we had dinner with her.  We spent the night in an Ocala hotel.   I usually do not sleep well in hotels no matter how comfortable they may be.   On this night I was awakened in the middle of the night fully aware that I had just been dreaming.   In the dream,  I was at an outdoor gathering of many people.  There was food and live music.   I picked up a stem of grapes and was eating them one by one,  when I realized the music group was singing “Happy Birthday” to me.  When they were done,  I went over to thank them.  I walked down the line thanking them each and shaking their hands.  I realized they were people I knew.  One lady in a blue hat took my out-stretched hand and gently kissed it.   When she looked up at me,  I realized it was my Mom!!!  She looked like she did when she had cancer.  The hat was exactly like one she wore after her hair fell out from the chemo treatments.

I believe this dream was a birthday present from the Lord and my Mom.  I knew it from the moment I woke up.  In those few seconds after I awoke,  it felt like this had really just happened. The church teaches us about the communion of saints.  That night the Lord allowed my Mom and I to escape the reality of physical death just long enough for her to tell me “Happy Birthday”.

Nothing is impossible with God.  He speaks to us all the time in so many different ways.  Listen for Him my brothers and sisters.  He is speaking to you.  He is telling you that you are loved more than you could ever imagine.

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