Saturday, September 20, 2014

Seeing Others with God's Glasses

Last night I had a dream that I got a new job.  In the dream I went to work a few days and was getting everything organized and learning the ropes.  Everything seemed to be going well.  Then I took one day off.  When I came back I found my workspace in disarray.  Everything on my desk had fallen over or off the desk, there were boxes and even discarded luggage on the floor all around my work area.  I set to work trying to tidy the area but realized this was not what I came to work to do, I needed to do the job I was hired for.

Coworker 1
At that point a woman came into the room.  It was a woman I know from my job in real life who is very kind an helpful HR person at my real life job.  In the dream she was a secretary of sorts and I sensed she was the person you talk to if you need help.  She brought several other people with her a to help her move the baggage and boxes lying around to another room.  I tried to ask her for help explaining that it was going to be difficult for me to do my job when I come back from one day off and everything is in disarray.  When I finished explaining the situation she looked at me and said, "Oh yea? Well I have my own problems," and she went off into a some long winded explanation about some difficulty she was having. 

Coworker 2
At this point I took off walking around the office pushing my chair.  I'm not sure why actually, maybe I was looking for additional help or just trying to get my bearings in the new office.  I observed all the different people with their different roles within this company.  I saw all kinds of people from high school kids in school uniforms, to a group of nuns.  As I was passing by new people interviewing for a position at the office I was amused to see they needed to demonstrate their roller skating abilities as part of the interview process.  As I passed by a group of these interviewees I heard them speaking as if they did not like this company and would try to just get by with the minimum if they were hired.  I thought to myself I would not hire them with that kind of an attitude.  At some point a girl began walking beside me at a feverish pace.  She was quite troubled and began trying to explain the troubles she had working here.  She didn't really have anything specific to say, but only spoke in generalities with an overall negative attitude.  Before I could even think of how to respond to her she was gone.

Coworker 3
Now it was time for a office meeting.  Everyone gathered together for a meeting.  I don't remember what it was about, but after the meeting I walked up to the front to ask the person in charge a question.  There were many other people crowded around this lady who had been doing the talking. I tried to make my way to her, but she began talking to a man in a loud voice that was clearly meant to be heard by all around her, and she and the man were reciting some sort of rehearsed conversation that seemed to be part of the meeting we had just attended.  I got the impression that this woman was very false and it would be difficult to tell if she was even speaking the truth because she seemed to be prepared with false positive language meant to motivate others into action.  I gave up my attempt to speak with her.

Coworker 2... again
Now I had grown rather discouraged.  I wasn't sure how I would manage to do my job.  There was no one to train, or help me and I had a developed a rather negative outlook on the company due to the interactions with others I had met up to this point.  I sat down on some sort of resting bench cushion thing.  As I sat there the negative girl who had spoken to me earlier came and sat beside me.  Once again she went off in a frenzy of words that I can not recall and was gone as fast as she came.

Coworker 4
A boy came and sat beside me next.  He seemed to be a teenager or very early twenties.  Rather than sitting calmly he cringed and writhed unable to sit still twisting into awkward positions.  Anxiously and with much anguish he explained that he had so much work to do he didn't know how he would ever get it done in time.  He said that he had finished just one task and when he looked again at the list of tasks he needed to do he had seven new ones in the time it took to finish just one.  He was in so much agony over this I tried to calm him by resting my hand on him to comfort him, but he jerked away in a panic spouting out something about how he wouldn't hurt anyone and he was gentle, saying it over and over like an attempt to convince himself.  He literally twisted and fell off the bench at this point writhing away from me as I tired to explain all he needed to do was focus on his most important task first and when that one was finished start on the next one.  He was lurking off and I called after him again in a finally attempt that he might hear me, "Just focus on the most important task first!"

Coworker 5
Next a teen girl came and sat beside me. She had a bubbly personality and as she was attempting to start a conversation with me when a teen boy came up behind her.  As she tried to speak, the boy kept dodging from left to right behind her in an attempt to grab her attention and make her laugh.  The girl became very distracted, flirting playful with the boy, and no longer attempted to speak to me.  It was as if I was not there.

At this point I woke up.  I woke with with the thought in my mind that this is a tiny glimpse into the way God feels when we bring Him our problems and difficulties in pray, but we don't stay long enough to listen for an answer or to receive love and grace from Him to help us with our struggles.

Coworker 1 - had so many problems of her own she could not listen to God's plans and desires he had for her.

Coworker 2 - had a negative attitude and restless anxious demeanor and could not stay in God's presence long enough to even begin to receive any assistance.  She never gave Him the chance.

Coworker 3 - was too busy and had her own agenda that was so deeply ingrained she never allowed herself to enter into God's presence.

Coworker 4 - was filled with anxiety, guilt, and despair, and seemed revolted by God's presence and would not allow Him to comfort him or give him advice.

Coworker 5 - attempted to talk to God, but was easily distracted by the world and soon forgot God was present. 

Now in the dream I was myself, that is to say, I had my body, but I did not react to the people in the dream the way I would in real life.  It wasn't until I woke that my first thought maybe God was trying to give me a glimpse of how He sees people.  So lets imagine it was like I was wearing God glasses, kind of seeing it though His perspective.

Coworker 1 - I did not feel any anger or resentment toward her despite her inability to listen to me I only felt as if I would get no where talking to her so I should leave and wait and perhaps try again later.  (I do not think God ever leaves us, but the waiting part I think is important.  Perhaps God waits on us to be ready to listen to what He has to say.)

Coworker 2 - I felt like this girl was in such a frenzy I had no opportunity to speak to her or get to know her.  Almost as soon as she arrived she was gone again.

Coworker 3 - I sensed this woman was very false like she was living a made up life where she acts happy and in-control, but it is not really true.  However, I felt like there was nothing I could do for her because she was too busy living the false life she had created.

Coworker 4 - I was not disgusted by this boy's behavior.  I felt pity for him and wanted to comfort him, and help him.   As he was ranting that he wouldn't hurt anybody, I remember thinking that of course he wouldn't hurt anyone, why would he even think this, this poor boy could not hurt fly.  He was like a helpless child in need of much love and care, but unwilling to accept it because of the way he saw himself and his situation.

Coworker 5 - I did not attempt to regain this girl's attention when she became distracted by the boy behind her.  It was as if I was waiting very patiently for her to realize and remember I was there.  I was not angry, or even annoyed, I just waiting thinking surly she would stop being distracted soon and remember I was there.

This dream gave me insight into how I act toward God, and also how I see other people.  Who will you be this day?  Will you be like one of these 5 Coworkers? Or will take time to listen to what God has to say and receive the comfort and blessing He wants to give you in this day?

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