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From Bitter to Better (part 1)

Bitter to Better

Good riddance, Indiana!

Nobody wakes up one morning and says, “Today I’m going to become a bitter person.”  Bitterness doesn’t just spring up overnight. It’s more like a creeping, carnivorous vine that slowly and subtly gnaws away at one’s soul.

Though Hoosier born and bred, by the end of the year 2000 I was ready to kiss Indiana goodbye. Life’s disappointments had piled up like cheap pancakes without syrup, and I was beyond ready for a change. So when an enticing opportunity in a southern state presented itself, Sandy and I prayed and God seemed to confirm, “Go.”

So we uprooted and went, grateful to be leaving Indiana behind. Bitter much? Nah. Not me.

Filled with faith, we arrived at our new southern home wholly unprepared for a shocking turn of events. Due to circumstances beyond our control, our dream immediately disintegrated. Just like that. Now, 1000 miles away from our Indiana family and friends, we felt devastated and confused. What now? Should we stay here? Or move back to Indiana? Though He continuously sustained us with His love, God was silent about the next step.

Then one night I had two dreams:

Dream #1 -Showers Aren’t for Soaking

In scene after scene, I found myself in a shower, trying to stop up the drains so as to fill the showers with water (Strange, I know.)  No matter what I did to the drains, they would not close. In the final scene, the water evaporated before it could hit the shower floor. (Now that’s a dry season!) Then I awoke.

Still groggy, I hear the voice of the Lord speak clearly in my heart: This is the meaning of the dream:

 You are not in a season of soaking; you’re in a season of cleansing. If you stop up the drain you’ll merely soak in your own impurities. With the drains open, you can be cleansed.

With that, I fell asleep and had a 2nd dream.

Dream #2 – Talkin’ About Trouble

I dreamt I was at a Christian gathering at a large outdoor arena. Though I’m usually energized by people, in the dream I was not. There was a large African American choir singing a joyful song (something I would normally enjoy.) But in the dream, I resented it. How dare they be so happy!

Next, a faceless man seated next to me took the microphone: After this next song, brother Dave is going to tell about what the Lord is doing in his life—trouble!

I resemble that remark! It’s bad enough that the choir’s happy, but the faceless man announcing my trouble talk—He’s happy, too!  After the faceless man spoke, the sweetest light rain started to fall on our outdoor gathering.  Rather than ruin the event, the rain seemed to enhance it. I was perplexed, to say the least. End of dream.

When I awoke I again heard the voice of the Lord in my heart: The two dreams are one dream…

(To Be Continued…)

Comments
  • I am having a Paul Harvey moment Dave. Am looking forward to reading “The Rest of the Story.” So glad you are sharing.
    I sure do miss ISSM. And, it is refreshing to still be able to learn from you. Thank you for sharing! Jeff

  • Thanks for reading, Jeff! Am trying to keep the blog at 400-500 words, thus the cliffhanger. 🙂 I miss you and your family, too. Hope things are going well in your part of the world! ~ Dave

  • Why would you do this to me? lol To be continued…
    Thank you for sharing this story, sounds very interesting.

  • Haha thanks, Alexa. Am keeping our blog at 400-500 words for the sake of short attention spans. :). Glad you’re intrigued!

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