Last night I had a nightmare.
After sharing my sorrow and restlessness with one of Araella's friends over a 5:28 am text, I was blessed with some peaceful hours of sleep. And when I woke, I knew why. She had prayed for me. And in a returned pre-dawn text, she reminded me of a song and of His promises and I found myself being lifted from the mire and standing on the Truth. (As I type I am thinking of how Araella referred to having her head lifted and her feet firmly planted in her written prayers from March 2018... As soon as she was old enough to talk about the lyrics in songs and the Words in the Bible, Rae began to behold that Jesus was her ROCK! She collected rocks from playgrounds, deserts, beaches... Oh how easy it is to stray off topic when thinking about Araella!) After being awake for a few hours, tears and turmoil behind me for a time, I found myself sharing the dream that I had this summer with another dear friend of Araella's - and I thought maybe you would like to know it too...
Let me premise this description by saying that the whole dream was probably 30 seconds, but my account always takes much longer. (This is the only Araella dream I have had.) When I woke, I wrote notes so that I would never forget... I know now that I never will because months have passed, and it is still vivid in the eyes of my heart. I will do my best to put those details into words so that you can partake in the joy and comfort that it gives to me.
It was the kind of dream where the dreamer sees themselves in the dream from a third person, omniscient-type perspective. I was the interpreter of the dream within the dream if that makes sense. (Sorry, it is a little hard to explain which is probably why I haven't tried to write it down before today.) There were no spoken words.
In the dream, I was sitting in a large, bright hall. (As if the hall was filled with natural, sparkling, sun light - maybe compared to a cloudless day at the beach - but I don't remember any windows.) I was sitting on a bench against the left side and at the end of the hall was a tall counter.
I could see a person standing at the counter and I was overjoyed because I knew immediately that it was Araella.
She was standing on her tiptoes with her arms up on the counter. It looked like her chin was probably resting on her hands. Her hair was long and straight. I surmise that she was wearing a light colored tunic or a dress but I do not recall any details of her attire other than seeing about 5 inches of black legging capris that were covering each of her calves.
I could see a person standing at the counter and I was overjoyed because I knew immediately that it was Araella.
She was standing on her tiptoes with her arms up on the counter. It looked like her chin was probably resting on her hands. Her hair was long and straight. I surmise that she was wearing a light colored tunic or a dress but I do not recall any details of her attire other than seeing about 5 inches of black legging capris that were covering each of her calves.
I understood that she was getting an assignment.
After a time, Araella turned on her heal to the right. It was a graceful, almost slow, movement that revealed her cheek first, and then her eye, and then the corner of her lips which were leading into wide smile. As she turned I could see that her face was shining with a bright joy that is hard to explain. She was smiling, but it was more than that. It was a radiance that I have never seen. And then she began to run. A moment passed before she became aware that I was there. She did not stop but slowed for a second and looked at me. She gave me a sweet smile as if to say a million things... And I seemed to understand a million things in that moment. (Outside of the dream, all I can remember understanding is that she loves me, but that she had to go do something important.)
Then she brightened again, refocused on what was in front of her, and ran toward it.
And I woke up. I woke up with the knowledge that Araella is really, really happy and really, really busy. And I believe that with my whole heart. I know that the setting and the clothing etc. where the human parts of the dream - there to help me with interpretation. But the light that I glimpsed was not of this earth. And Rae's joy and purpose were equally unrivaled to anything I have known here.
This was the song I was reminded of this morning... a song I believe Rae left for me to find... A song for everyone that is missing her or someone else they love dearly. If you love Jesus, you're gonna be okay. "I know your heart is heavy from those nights, but just remember that you are a fighter and you're stronger than you know. When the night is closing in, don't give up, and don't give in. This won't last, it's not the end, it's not the end. You're gonna be ok."
The 'end' is a place that is filled with light and joy and purpose beyond our understanding. Someday we will be better than okay! Until then, Jesus taught that we are supposed to do our best to bring that place here - on Earth as it is in Heaven - like Rae did 💛
