There I was minding my own business asleep and suddenly a dream burst on my unconscious self. The dream was in a worldly paradise setting which was nice. The drama of the dream was about travel, strangers, and my brother Chuck. Chuck was taken home by Jesus some years ago at the age of 57. He had cancer. By taking Chuck home there was no more pain. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Chuck is my oldest brother. He was a good man, good father and husband. Most of all, he was a good brother to me. When he left home after the summer of his graduation from high school he entered the US Army and went to Viet Nam. The good news was he returned home alive. The bad news is the family stopped for that year as the focus was on him and his safety. That's not bad just energy draining. His safe return was great! Chuck went to pilots school and never stopped flying. While I was in Chicago finishing seminary, Chuck came to Chicago for a layover and we had the evening together. We had a wonderful time. Close to the end of the evening as we were sitting in my living room, Chuck asked what it meant to be "saved". I gave Chuck his answer and answered other questions he had before asking him if he would like to ask Jesus into his life. He said, "No, I have to think about it." A couple of years before his death he gave his life to Jesus.
Back to the dream. In the dream I was in a resort type setting where they had a central area with coffee shops and eating places. I was dying for a cup of coffee and went to the local coffee barista. While I was standing there ready to order my coffee I noticed a couple approaching me. I turned to give them my attention and couldn't believe my eyes! It was chuck and his wife! They told me that they had disappeared faking their deaths. I didn't care about that. It was so good to see him, hug him and give and receive love with him. He looked better than I had seen him in real life. As we were engaging he said he needed to go. As he walked away with his wife and disappeared I was left with that feeling when all you get is not enough. I awoke from the dream at 5 something and didn't go back to sleep. I wondered what all the dream meant and began to go over the elements of the dream to see what God's message to me was.
Chuck is in heaven because he proclaimed that he no longer lived but that Christ lived through him. His death wasn't really death because he came from death to live when he asked Jesus to be his Savior. Physical death then meant nothing as he couldn't die! As he walked through that door from here to there his heart never skipped a beat. One he exhaled for the last time here he inhaled for the first time there. Isn't that awesome! If we are Christians there should be no fear of death because we can never die! We simply change addresses. I would have loved to have Chuck in my life for much longer. I'm sure many of you would like to have had a loved one back in the same fashion. Chuck was healed and made whole by Jesus the moment he stepped through that door. Never to suffer again. He wipes away their tears and just loves on these as they pass from here to there. I was blessed to have the dream. I love you Chuck. Remember it's always your choice.
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