In my dream, I peeked around a front door to the street outside. With the door in my hand, I could look outside, then duck back into hiding if someone looked in my direction. A man walked toward a convenience store across the street. I thought, “He looks like Jesus.” He stopped before he walked into the store. We made eye contact and I knew. It was Him.
Some dreams come from a heavy carb-load the night before. Or an over-active mind causes dreams to run zigzag throughout our slumber. Some dreams come from the Lord. A dream in vivid clarity with details we don’t forget may be a message from God. Most are in code, like a puzzle whose finished image awaits the correct placement of each piece.
This dream wasn’t hard to figure out. I saw a picture of myself. I was hiding. A door, directed by my hands, shielded me until I was sure it was the Lord approaching. Even then, I wasn’t quick to come out.
I’ve hidden for many reasons over my lifetime. I’ve hidden when I’ve felt ashamed about something and didn’t want to be exposed. I’ve scurried to shelter when danger threatened. Sometimes that danger was real. Sometimes it wasn’t.
This door of fear has many faces. I may fear rejection, so sabotage relationships before they reject me. Or fear failure, so won’t try something new. Even this morning, I head to the refrigerator for my stash of homemade toffee. A delicious smokescreen masking uncertainty and fear of sharing my heart.
An insightful man, Lance Wallnau, says God doesn’t call us to success. He calls us to preeminence. God wants us noticed. He’s created us in such artistry, He wants us to shine. Why do we sabotage ourselves? Usually it’s because we believe lies about God and about ourselves.
Moses had extraordinary circumstances. He killed a man, ran away, and ended up in the desert where he met God who called him back to face his greatest failure. Okay, I don’t have a story like that. I was born in Fargo, North Dakota. My mom figured out she had married an alcoholic by the time she was pregnant with me. A doctor who didn’t want to miss vacation induced her labor before I was ready. Thirty-six hours later, she delivered me as her army husband served in Korea.
We all have stuff. Life can be hard. Just when we think we are stuck in failure’s grip, God comes to visit. He comes with an assignment.
Moses heard his assignment and argued with God. He said, “Look, Your people won’t even listen to me. How do you expect Pharaoh to? And besides, I stutter.” God didn’t respond, except to repeat the mission. “Listen, obey, and get My people out of slavery.” End of story.
The assignment wasn’t one Moses concocted. It was from God. We have a God call, too. It exists to conquer impossible odds of defeat and captivity. It has the strength and tenacity to accomplish God’s plan, despite our fears.
We can toss the “Aw, shucks, it’s just little ole’ me.” God is calling us out. Not to show off our abilities, but to showcase His. When we ignore our own accusations and embrace His calling, we’ll find a people waiting for us.
It is always a mission impossible. We choose between faith and fear. But we belong to a big God with a bigger plan than we’ve dreamed. It’s worth coming out of hiding for.