God puts his finger on stuff, doesn’t he? He lets things go for a while and then when it’s time, He opens our blind eyes. For me, He will often reveal the truth in a dream and I won’t need a fanny whipping. Thankfully, finally in my golden years, my butt busting days are behind me…. a good place for butts and “but, but, buts” to be!

I have to ask: Are you like me? Do you have trouble getting a word in edgewise with some people and are you like that sometimes, too? I shall be telling on myself now: When I am deeply passionate about something, look out: After having the dream God gave me last night, I realize it is time now to shoot the bear! Nah! Better than someone having to shoot it, it’s time for that beast to lay down. This was my dream:

A brown bear was scratching on a wall inside the house. Greatly alarmed, I ran into the next room, slammed the door shut and called my son on my I-phone.

In the next scene the bear which appeared a little bigger than cub-size was roaming through all the rooms. When it came into the one that I was in, I actually embraced it, and thought about what it would be like when it grew up. At some point, another huge white bear came on the scene and just laid down on the floor. My daughter-in-law told me that she was going to Israel and would not stay in the house.

In the following scene, I was conversing with a friend on the phone, but didn’t realize who she was until midway in the conversation. I told her that I had saved an image of a beautiful woman which I thought resembled her. In real life this is true.

My interpretation: 

Bears can represent a dominancy to dominate conversations and to discourage others from having an opinion…I think it’s called being . “overbearing.” The white bear that laid down represents “having to be right” being put to rest.

We all know that domination and having to be right are detrimental in relationships and create “walls” and God is doing a major work now in tearing down the walls between His people and getting rid of the reasons why they’re built. I looked up the etymology of “scratch” and the verb means “to make slight progress in penetrating or understanding” and also, “to cancel a plan.” Yes, we are making progress and are finally going to terminate the devil’s plans. It was interesting that one of the noun meanings of “scratch” is ”the devil.”

Truly it is the devil in us when we are overbearing and not meek. We are called “not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.” (1 Timothy 2: 24, 24) but passion says: “Get your gun and fire the truth at ‘em”…Be a bear and charge!” Lord help!

I believe the thought about what the bear would be like when it grew up was in the dream for a warning that this trait was something that could be handled now…. not later! How we all need to embrace correction when it comes!

My friend Melanie has known me since the 1980’s and just like my son and daughter-in-law have known my bearishness, she has seen this trait in me on a number of occasions. When I become this way, Melanie usually distances her self from me for long periods of time until grace brings her back, my daughter-in-law goes to Israel (a place within where she rules her spirit) and with wisdom tames the bear and my son simply kisses this bear on the top of the head and says: “I love you Mom.” The long-suffering of God is amazing! None of us would have any relationships without it as we all have things that are hard to deal with.

I love the reminder conveyed through the picture that I have kept in my I-phone and in my heart: We must always remember the beauty of one who is in Christ.

We must never forget that each of us is a wonderful gift, a blessing, and a messenger of God with wings to carry the body of Christ to heavenly places. We can be changed there from overbearing to forbearing ones. Hallelujah!