You may wonder why I chose a picture of a parking lot for a blog with a title on being properly balanced. A few nights ago, I had a dream that my husband and I had arrived in a new location and were attempting to park our vehicle at a grocery store. The parking spaces were as you see in the photo, slanted at an angle and a little longer than the ones you may use at Wal-Mart. My husband was driving, and we pulled into a space with no car on our right, but a large truck to our left, and no vehicles behind us.
Mel turned off the engine, but before we could exit the vehicle, a woman leaving the grocery store (heading toward us) looked at us with a disapproving expression. Her face did not show cruelty, but more like disappointment. The best way I can think of to describe this woman is that she had an old-fashioned hairdo similar to what some legalistic religions still wear, pulled up in a less flashy bee-hive sort of style. However, she was not dressed as the women in their churches do - only wearing dresses. Instead, she was wearing a feminine, modest top and pants.
We were not sure why she was giving us a disapproving look, but we looked in the direction of where her gaze had fallen, to the back of the vehicle. We realized we were parked too far backwards and it would be difficult for another vehicle pulling in to park without hitting us. We then re-parked.
This time, we had yet to turn off the engine when a man dressed like a cowboy walked toward us as the woman had, only this time on our left. It was his turn to give us the same expression as the woman had, not in disgust or anger, but rather disappointed that we had now parked too far forward.
We immediately realized that the front end of our vehicle was over the line and if anyone drove the stretch of parking lot in front of us, they would risk striking us. Mel immediately reversed the vehicle, this time centering it perfectly in the middle.
At first, I just thought this was a normal dream that was not worth mentioning, but one of the first things Mel asked me that morning was if I had had any dreams from the Lord. Initially, I said I had not, but this dream was in the back of my mind, so I asked him why he had asked me this. Mel said he had had a vision that I was going to be given a dream by the Holy Spirit. After I shared this dream with my husband, I then told him the same thing I always say, that I am not completely sure this dream was from the Lord, but that I can easily see a spiritual message in it.
Before I get into the interpretation of this dream that Mel and I both agreed upon, I want to explain why I used the title I did, rather than using a parking term in the title. That same evening, I was playing a word game on my Kindle, and the first round of the night was titled, "Properly Balanced." Coincidence? Maybe, but it still fits the theme of the dream.
Here is how my husband and I interpreted the dream.
The grocery store: In spiritual dreams, stores, restaurants, or anytime you are eating with someone, symbolizes spiritual food for us to learn from and/or to share with others.
New location: This has dual meanings. We were in a new town in this dream because we believe God will be moving us in 1-2 years (or less). Because we believe this location will be where we launch the next phase of our ministry, a new location also means getting settled spiritually where God wants us to be.
Being in a vehicle: In spiritual dreams, vehicles represent spiritual beliefs. The person driving is the one who is the leader. In this case, my husband is the spiritual head of our home. If it is another person and the vehicle is driving recklessly, this means that person is leading you down dangerous theological paths.
The woman / parking too far backward: She was disappointed in us because she did not want us going backwards into legalism. Let me clarify, I am not trying to insult anyone's religion, but I am merely sharing what the Lord shared with me. She represented being too legalistic and rigid in holiness beliefs, to the point it goes beyond what the Bible teaches. While I completely agree with modesty in women, I have also attended churches similar to the one she symbolized, and they make a woman feel unwelcome if they do not have hair to their waist, their dress does not reach her ankles, or she wears pants. This and other types of religions and others trapped in old testament laws have so many unbiblical rules one must follow, that they make people not want God at all. I will not go into why they have legalistic and not Biblical beliefs, because the point of the woman in this dream was that God does not want us to be so over-the-top seeped in holiness alone, that we turn people away from Him. Whether you believe it or not, holiness does not equal legalism!! There needs to be a proper balance of grace and love added to our message. This is why she had the hairdo of the religion, but the clothes were less rigid. In other words, TRUE HOLINESS BELIEFS ARE VERY PLEASING TO THE LORD! (For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:11-14)
The cowboy / parking too far forward: Just as the woman represented the proper balance of holiness beliefs, the man symbolized not being unequally yoked with worldly beliefs. He was disappointed in us because he did not want us to be too involved with the world. By parking too far forward, we would have gotten too close to the world. This not only meant getting too intertwined with the unsaved or backslidden people in our lives, but also not getting involved in the liberal grace message of eternal security. Quickly PULLING AWAY FROM the line where OTHER VEHICLES (people, WORLDY BELIEFS/ACTIONS, or false religions) could have caused us harm, WAS ALSO PLEASING TO THE LORD! (Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 & And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2)
The parking lot: Where we had settled in our belief systems. This is why the dream ended with us parked properly balanced where God has been training us to be. This dream was encouraging us to stay properly balanced and not park either too far forward or backward.(This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21)
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