Dreaming Evangelism

I drive my car into the bar as if it were the most normal thing to do. I get out of my car and look around. My car vanishes. To my right two people sit in a booth, casually talking. One glances at me, then returns to his animated conversation with the person sitting across from him.

In front of me sits an older woman at a small table, alone.

To my left the bartender is wiping down the counter with a white rag. He finally notices me and says, “You’re supposed to tell something to that lady over there.”

I glance at her. Her head hangs over a bare table. “But I don’t know her.”

He shrugs and walks away.

I look down and notice I’m wearing a nametag, except it’s upside down. I realize it’s not my name but these words on it:

Are you ready to get serious about Jesus?

This is the tail end of a dream I had several years ago. I’ve never forgotten it for obvious reasons. Lately it’s been on my mind again.

Originally, God used this dream to convict me. The evening before I had driven through a blizzard to get to a Christmas party with my Bible study group. Needless to say, when I got there, I was relieved to be alive and ready to relax. I said a brief hello to one of the member’s husbands, who I knew wasn’t a believer, then spent the rest of the evening entertaining myself.

That night I had this dream, but I didn’t put two and two together until the next morning. I knew the dream had meaning, but I didn’t know what. In my prayer time, God convicted me of my oversight.

Later that same morning, the unequally yoked group that I was part of had a date to meet. It was at the house of the woman whose husband I had neglected. I knew I would have to ask her for forgiveness. As soon as I arrived at her doorstep, I did. She then told me how her husband had wanted to leave early the night before because he didn’t feel welcome.

I was convicted again. A room full of Christians and the poor guy never felt welcome. Now you see why I’ve never forgotten that dream.

How does this apply to writing? It makes me ask these questions. Do our words reach the downtrodden person sitting alone? Do they reach the Christian, who’s ready to quit doing thing’s Jesus’ way because it’s just too hard? Do we offer a light in a hopeless world? I think we do, and will continue to as long as God is the one at the keyboard as well.

Something’s moving and changing lately. I’m not sure what it is, but I can feel it. The dream has been more prevalent lately, more readily remembered than usual. I know God’s at work, I just don’t know what he’s doing yet.

But I do know one thing. I’m ready to get serious about Jesus. How about you?