The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs. ~Vance Havner
There comes a time that a mother realizes that her child is venturing out and having her own experiences. Although I realize that all her life my daughter has had her own experiences, much of them including me and now many are far removed by distance or hidden in the depths of her mind and heart. It is a healthy, subtle change, expected with her maturing, but at times I realize that my daughter is out with friends and I really do not know everything she is doing, what she is talking about, or what she is thinking. We rarely pray with her at bedtime now, but I remind her when she comes to say good-night to "talk to your Lord." I say that because I want her to make the transition from praying at Him to talking to Him to even conversing with Him. I can tell her about how to do it, remind her to do it, but her relationship with God is now her responsibility to cultivate.
I have no doubts that she has strong ideas of right and wrong, but I wonder about the closeness of relationship she has with the One who gave her those morals. She seems to be trying to find her way and I see it as a good thing, because her faith, her belief, her love for God has to be her own to deepen the root so the vine will flourish. Thankfully, my daughter is still rather open about whatever is on her mind...the "whatever" is what I sometimes find disturbing, but I just smile, listen to her, listen to my Lord, give her any advice that could be helpful to her, and then pray...a lot!
The church we are attending has a very active youth group, but it is not all socialization, fun, and helping with the younger children, although there is much of that. This is a church that strongly focuses on the personal relationship with God and using spiritual gifts. Yesterday, my daughter told me that the youth were asked to visualize walking to a garden, going through a gate, meeting with Jesus, and asking Him about what what He likes about them and to give them something He had just for them. She was somewhat disturbed by what she saw and knowing that I had been given the interpretation of dreams and had been given visions at times, she told me about her visualization.
She was in a hospital gown with a wrist band. She was walking toward the garden gate that was old and worn, but still worked. The garden was completely dead. She met with Jesus who told her that what He liked about her was her "talents," but He did not give her anything even though she asked a few times.
The youth had all talked about their own visualizations and the Princess, of course, was disturbed that Jesus did not give her anything and by the other signs.
At first I found her visualization quite disturbing as well! My mama protective instincts were on high alert:
Getting past my instinctive emotional response and putting it before my Lord, I was shown how much promise and good there was in the visualization. I believe it was to prompt her and guide her to having that closer relationship with God I wish for her, so I found it encouraging and I hope my child did as well as I told her what I felt God was trying to tell her.
The hospital gown and the dead garden were linked in a way. They both symbolized that she need tending to, spiritually speaking. Jesus told her that He liked her talents, but I know that she is not yet really using those talents to His glory as I know she could and should. Perhaps using those talents is what will make the garden alive and beautiful. Jesus gave her nothing, not because He has nothing for her, but because she is not yet ready to receive it...AND (this is the really exciting part for me) He wants her to keep coming back and asking for it.
She is being challenged or tested, which leads me to think that the gift will be of greater worth.
I suggested to her that she continue with the visualization and I believe that the garden will change eventually, maybe she would even tend to it herself, and keep meeting with Jesus asking Him for the gift He has for her. I believe that one day He will give her the gift.
I have no doubts that she has strong ideas of right and wrong, but I wonder about the closeness of relationship she has with the One who gave her those morals. She seems to be trying to find her way and I see it as a good thing, because her faith, her belief, her love for God has to be her own to deepen the root so the vine will flourish. Thankfully, my daughter is still rather open about whatever is on her mind...the "whatever" is what I sometimes find disturbing, but I just smile, listen to her, listen to my Lord, give her any advice that could be helpful to her, and then pray...a lot!
The church we are attending has a very active youth group, but it is not all socialization, fun, and helping with the younger children, although there is much of that. This is a church that strongly focuses on the personal relationship with God and using spiritual gifts. Yesterday, my daughter told me that the youth were asked to visualize walking to a garden, going through a gate, meeting with Jesus, and asking Him about what what He likes about them and to give them something He had just for them. She was somewhat disturbed by what she saw and knowing that I had been given the interpretation of dreams and had been given visions at times, she told me about her visualization.
She was in a hospital gown with a wrist band. She was walking toward the garden gate that was old and worn, but still worked. The garden was completely dead. She met with Jesus who told her that what He liked about her was her "talents," but He did not give her anything even though she asked a few times.
The youth had all talked about their own visualizations and the Princess, of course, was disturbed that Jesus did not give her anything and by the other signs.
At first I found her visualization quite disturbing as well! My mama protective instincts were on high alert:
- A hospital gown--my child has never been ill or severely injured, so was this a warning?
- A dead garden--death all around!
- Jesus gives her nothing--nothing?
Getting past my instinctive emotional response and putting it before my Lord, I was shown how much promise and good there was in the visualization. I believe it was to prompt her and guide her to having that closer relationship with God I wish for her, so I found it encouraging and I hope my child did as well as I told her what I felt God was trying to tell her.
The hospital gown and the dead garden were linked in a way. They both symbolized that she need tending to, spiritually speaking. Jesus told her that He liked her talents, but I know that she is not yet really using those talents to His glory as I know she could and should. Perhaps using those talents is what will make the garden alive and beautiful. Jesus gave her nothing, not because He has nothing for her, but because she is not yet ready to receive it...AND (this is the really exciting part for me) He wants her to keep coming back and asking for it.
She is being challenged or tested, which leads me to think that the gift will be of greater worth.
I suggested to her that she continue with the visualization and I believe that the garden will change eventually, maybe she would even tend to it herself, and keep meeting with Jesus asking Him for the gift He has for her. I believe that one day He will give her the gift.
~ My Lord, thank you for what was a disturbing vision for my daughter. You know her so well. She is going to want to fix it, make it right, and that means she will be seeking Your heart, which is my greatest prayer for her. ~
