"Consider yourself at home... consider yourself part of the family..."
I have another midterm in 58 minutes.
Dang. I really hate this.
So... I figured while I am taking a break from pretending to study, I should go ahead and update here.
Mainly, I wanted to write down another dream before I forget it.
Last night, I dreamed that there were pick-pockets at the church, and a real problem with things getting stolen.
All the elders and deacons and pastors (and maybe some members?) were crowded around in a little room. They were all joking around about the fact that they needed to "protect our pockets" from these thieves running around.
Though I'm not sure why, I realized that B and I needed some money.
So I began to go around to the elders and deacons and pastors and say, "Can I pick your pockets?" They all seemed very generous and said, "Sure!"
I remember thinking, "Because the pickpocket is running around, they won't have a lot in their pockets. So I don't feel guilty for taking what's there because I know it won't be alot... it won't be all that they have."
I also remember feeling so loved and blessed because they were all so willing to help me out.
Anyways, I would ask each one, "Can I pick your pockets?"
They would say "sure" and then turn so that I could reach in their pockets and pull out whatever was in there.
Almost always, there was a wad of cash in there.
Finally, Pastor came up behind me and hugged me. He said, "I still want to pay for your trip to Israel, but I will also give you this."
Then I reached into his coat pocket and pulled out yet another wad of cash.
Then B and I walked out into the parking lot and looked down at all the money we had just taken/been given. It was SO MUCH money!
We both felt so blessed and so loved because the elders/deacons/pastors had been so willing to let us take from them.
(The next part may just be an extra...and not from the Lord at all... but I'll write it down just in case.)
Then, as we were walking through the parking lot, we saw a girl (teenager) stealing an air mattress from the church. Or... she could have been returning a stolen air mattress. I'm not sure. Either way, we said something to her about it, and she dropped it and started to studder some excuse for why she had it.
Then her mom came out with another daughter and said, "Oh, have you guys been able to find that air mattress for us to borrow?" (She was talking about mine and B's air mattress at home.) She continued, "This one doesn't work. Have you guys been able to find yours?"
We both hesitated to tell her that we knew where it was because we knew that she was the one who was stealing from the church.
And that's where the dream ended.
Hm.
I really think that the first part (about pickpocketting the leaders in the church) is about my proposal to the board next week. I have been a nervous wreck about the meeting.
Basically, the Lord has shown me some amazing things to do with the children's church building. It hasn't been updated in almost a decade, and even then, there wasn't a whole lot put into it.
But I can see the potential that is there. There is SO MUCH amazing stuff that can be done to make it a "seeker friendly" environment.
But... it is going to cost money... a lot of money.
Thousands of dollars.
And that is what I have to ask for.
I have to go in with the vision that the Lord has given me.
I have to present it to the board of deacons/elders/pastors.
I have to convince them why it's worth it.
And I have to ask for all those thousands of dollars.
And then I have to expect them to trust me with it.
*sheesh*
But I really feel like the Lord gave me confidence through that dream last night.
Yes, I'll have to ask.
Yes, I may have to dig into their pockets myself.
No, they may not offer it with open hands.
But they are only that way because they have been taken advantage of in the past.
And that's the truth.
Other updates that have been done in other departments have been done without permission.
And so they are protective of the Lord's money.
But it is the Lord's money.
And even if I have to go to each individual member and ask, in the end, I will have what I need for the updates.
As for the trip to Israel and the air mattress stuff... I'm not sure.
I really feel like the Israel trip has some significance.
But I'm not sure about the part at the end.
Anyways... I guess I'm going to go study now.
Drop me a comment/note if you have any insights.