The Dream That Changed My Life

The year 2012 was one of the most unforgettable years of my life. I could remember how busy Mike and I were during that year. We were so busy building our lives, chasing our dreams, building our business, making money, and securing our future. It was also in that year when I had my very first pregnancy, the pregnancy which I have prayed for, for so many years. It was a year when we felt very close to the life that we've always dreamed of. Although we've known Jesus and had a relationship with Him, we had our own dreams and plans already laid out in front of us. And just as we thought that everything will work out the way we've always planned it, suddenly, everything's changed.

It was a night in November of that same year when Jesus spoke to me in a dream. The dream seemed very real to me, that even up to now, it's still very vivid in my mind. In my dream, Jesus was very sad and angry. He seemed to be crying as He said these words to me, "What are you doing?! Why are you not doing anything for my Kingdom?" In His anger, He even threw a stone in the sidewalk while He was saying those words to me.

When I woke up, I felt restless. My heart was beating fast and I didn't know what to do or even what to think. It felt overwhelming and confusing at the same time. Did Jesus really just spoke to me in my dream? Am I hallucinating? I mean, who am I that He would need to do that? Remembering how sad and angry He was when He spoke to me also made me feel uneasy and afraid. What have I done wrong? What did His words meant?

My Spiritual Mentor always taught me that God clearly speaks to us through the Bible. I knew, that the only way to confirm if it was indeed, Jesus who spoke to me is through His Word. So in my quiet time that morning, I prayed. I poured out my heart to Him, my restlessness, my confusion, my fear. I asked Him for a clear answer, was it really Him? What did He want to tell me?

I opened my Bible and I landed to the book of Haggai. A very short book (only 2 chapters), a book that I haven't even heard of before. In that book, God was addressing the Israelites about their misplaced priorities. The people were building their own lives, businesses and neglecting what God has been asking them to do: Rebuild His Temple.

"You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because My house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses." - Haggai 1:9

These words from the Lord and almost everything that He said in the short chapters of that book crushed my heart. I imagined how broken God's heart must be because we've been neglecting Him, His call for us to prioritize Him in our lives. How we've used the busyness of our schedules and even my pregnancy that time as an excuse not to obey. This is His will, His command to everyone who claims to love Him, who claims to be His follower:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:19-20

The parting words of Jesus before He ascended to Heaven, this verse echoed in my head, as He said almost the same exact words to the Israelites during the time of the Prophet Haggai. He said these when the people already decided to return to the Lord and prioritized to obey His call for them:

"Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of the Heaven's Armies. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid." - Haggai 2:4-5

It became clear to me that day that the Lord wanted us to rearrange our misplaced priorities. He visited me in my dream to ask us to return to Him, to the work that He called us to do -- to take our part in building His Kingdom, to stop focusing on earthly treasures. That day, I've understood how serious He is in the Great Commission.

Our lives went upside down after that day. I wish I could say that everything turned out the way we wanted them to, but no. Few days later, I lost my pregnancy. Few months later, we've experienced a lot of financial difficulties, we've lost our car, we've lost almost everything that we've tried to built all our lives. We've been shaken, we were tested but we realized that God allowed these things to happen to strengthen our faith, to experience Him more, and to prepare our hearts for the work that He calls us to do. He taught us to serve Him during the most inconvenient time of our lives.

In the middle of everything, He entrusted these souls to us. His sheep. A flock so precious to Him, a flock purchased with His own blood. And through shepherding these souls, He taught us to find joy in Him and His Great Commission. The joy when we hear how each of their lives are being transformed little by little as we lead them closer to God. An unspeakable joy that we never found in the many years of our pursuit of empty dreams. We know, that though He has led us to a path different from what we've planned for ourselves, right now, we are on the exact place where He wants us to be.

My husband and I's Singles' Discipleship Group

Single Women's Discipleship Group

I'd like to share this beautiful video which has helped ignite the fire in my heart to take my part in fulfilling the Great Commission. I pray that the Lord may speak to you through it the way my heart was moved after watching it!

We were set free to free others!
Glory to God! 

My Great Commissioned Moment.
My #SheSharesTruth writing assignment.