I Once Had a Dream (or two)

Anne Bradshaw • April 4, 2023

Tidal Waves and a Dragon

I once had a dream in which I was with many people old and young in a home or building of some kind. I don’t know why we were together. I don’t know the circumstances of the gathering. I do know there were windows, and we were not far from the sea.

Passing the windows, I looked out to see a tidal wave heading our way. People scrambled in fear to find shelter or high ground. I did the same, and the wave came, but the dwelling we were in did not fall. The water came through the windows and filled the place and reached over my head, but I did not drown. I helped small children caught in the wave, their legs too short to find the ground I still felt beneath my feet. Picking them up from the waves, I placed them on the couches and chairs, propping them up one against the other for support as the water continued to drain from the building. Then I turned back to the window.

And when I looked out the window right behind it was another wave, and then behind that one was another and another and they kept coming and we kept getting wet, but the dwelling we were in did not fall and the furniture never moved, and no one was lost.

Then I woke up with the assurance: We will get wet, but we won’t drown.

This dream was around 2018 or before. Covid had not yet hit the US. The corruption in Washington and other authority places was just beginning to be uncovered.

As the reader of this blog, I don’t know what you think of dreams. Do they mean anything? Is something from God being communicated? Are they only our subconscious working things out? Are they the result of inner conflict or the pizza we ate the evening before?

I think all of these explanations and more could apply. I know most dreams I’ve had have been the result of a book I was currently reading or a problem I was trying to work out. So, I don’t assume every dream I have is from God unless it sticks with me in a certain way that dreams from Him do and I recognize it unmistakably. Anything from Him is supported by the truths found in Scripture.

In 2017 (about) I had dream about a dragon. It was big and a very dark color with tall vertical spikes sticking up from the end of its tail like the drawings I’ve seen of a Stegosaurus. It roamed through the country whipping its tail back and forth drawing together groups that would never have worked together before. When they came together, they found a common hatred and began to burn and pillage all they came in contact with. The dragon’s intent was simply to create chaos and destruction. This dragon’s goal was to destroy.

Just destroy.

This was before the current political and cultural chaos now ensuing upon our nation.

But it was just a dream, right? What was the assurance from this dream? It stuck with me and didn’t just fade away. It made a mark somehow so I prayed about it. Then I remembered that in movies etc, dragons always had a vulnerability in their armor somewhere. Interesting. I’ve looked for where I wrote this dream down and cannot find it. (I have a ton of journals. It’s there somewhere and I’ll find it when I no longer need it, I’m sure.) I can, however, look in Scripture to find what God says about evil.

This I know:

Evil tries to magnify itself, make itself bigger than it actually is. That dragon started out as a snake (serpent) in Genesis. So he’s puffed up a bit since then.

Evil wants converts and to steal.

Evil’s only weapon is to Deceive. So, I know all the noise conveyed to me of sin, doom and gloom is only part of the story, and it is probably a much smaller part than I am being asked to believe.

Evil demands compromise away from Truth.

The Psalms, poetically, and other Scriptures describing the life of Christ among us, the Acts of the Apostles and Paul’s testimonials and instructions to the churches, in all of these places it says evil does not ever win.

Ever.

Evil devises traps for others and then like Haman in the Story of Esther, ends up destroying themselves.

Evil wastes away. That is, it wears itself out. Those under the influence of evil can’t keep up with their own lies and schemes and it comes back to bite them.

Evil provokes people away from Spirit Life to a place of sin and death. The result? Spiritual Starvation. Sin and death offer nothing but momentary satisfaction and that isn’t even real satisfaction. It’s an empty existence, full of empty promises and betrayal. That existence always seeks for wholeness in all the wrong places because the wholeness sought only offered through Christ and they refuse to receive it. The more they lose their grip on what they think will make them happy, the more frantic and erratic their behavior becomes.

The dragon dream was about this evil moving in and working behind the scenes. In light of what Scripture can tell us, Evil may be present in the world, but the church Jesus is building will not be overcome by it (see Matthew 16). We have a hope. In Chapter 17 of John, Jesus prays that His disciples would be sanctified by the truth. The Word of God is the truth.

Sanctify means to cleanse internally by restoration of soul through knowledge of the truth (blueletterbible.org), John also used the language in 8:32 when he said the truth would set us free. Free from what? Sin, obviously, and also wrong thinking that leads to sin. Truth also sets us free from the trap of lies and deception. Truth lights up the dark places and reveals what is going on and what God says about it.

The dream of the waves, I believe are waves of grace and also waves of things that seem to overwhelm us. We see that all around us, just watch the news, if you can find a reliable source to see what I mean. It can feel like waves of events and it effects us. The waves are also waves of the Spirit moving among us. This too is happening! Do not despair. Ask God to help you see what He is doing and get on board.

The dream of the dragon, we know that one. And it goes along with the waves of events that seems to want to steal our assurance from us so we end up reacting rather than responding with truth to the events.

However, the people of God are not without hope. This is our anchor.

Hebrews 6:18 (NASB) says, “so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to the hope set before us. ¹⁹This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil, ²⁰where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

His faith in us can accomplish much.

Philippians 4: 12 (NASB)“I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. ¹³I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

We may feel a bit overwhelmed by current events or personal circumstances, but we are not defeated. Consider Paul's testimony:

2 Corinthians 4: 7-12(MSG) "If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives!”

Grace and peace,

Anne

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Get Ready

By Anne Bradshaw • May 29, 2025

Hear His voice, and Go

He Invites Our Participation

By Anne Bradshaw • May 8, 2025

Dear Reader, It has been on my mind this morning the incredible gift we have in Christ to be members of the Family of God, the Church Jesus is building, citizens of the Kingdom, joint heirs with Christ. We are in His Good Care, always. I’m sure you have also had moments when the appreciation for this gift seems to eclipse the momentary business of daily life. I’m sure you would have your insights as well to add. It is from this place that I am sharing today. My husband and I take time each morning to pray together for family, the Church and the nation. Today when we were praying for our nation and for the people of God, we prayed for those who hear His voice that they would choose obedience above the temptations and the insecurities that they may experience. We prayed for Congress, especially, to be focused on good stewardship of the office they are holding and accomplish the pressing needs of the nation rather than simply the “easy” stuff they can agree on. Our prayers were for those who are not being good stewards of the power and influence they have been given, would now make choices according to the Law of the Spirit of Life or be removed from their places of power and influence until they can fulfill their oath of office responsibly and faithfully. It occurred to me amidst the prayer time, that God really doesn’t need our approval to accomplish His plan. He doesn’t need anyone to be obedient. He invites it. He designed the covenantal relationship with us to not be dependent upon us because He is somehow lacking in something we have, rather He includes us because it is His good pleasure. When I say he doesn’t need us, I mean that He is God all by Himself. He doesn’t need anything from us in order to maintain His sovereignty and Grace and accomplish His plan for humanity that is already in the works. When I was young, I used to think that if I stopped believing in God He would simply vanish. It was quite a revelation to realize I was not that powerful and that whether I believed or not, approved or not, was happy, sad, faithful or disobedient, God was still God. He is faithful to His covenant regardless of my momentary lapses or victories. He loved me and wanted me to have the abundant life promised. Then I learned an even greater truth. It’s not about me. Never was. There is no personal plan of God for my life. It isn’t all planned out. He just knows what is in store and prepares me in advance with all the skills and ability I need to enjoy, endure or receive all that is ahead of me. He’s in my corner, but not for my sake… It’s for everyone. It’s for His kingdom, His righteousness working through me so ALL can have an abundant life promised. I just have a small corner in a much bigger purpose in which to work and follow His leading. It’s not about me... I find that incredibly freeing. I can’t make a mistake that messes up His plan. I’m not that powerful. I am free to choose. I am offered leadership and favor according to His good will for me, for all. If the consequences of sin are experienced, it is because sin carries its own punishment. And sometimes that punishment spills over to others. A drunk driver could have an accident and kill other people. The other people didn’t do anything wrong; the evil of alcohol abuse is at fault. But God still cares and is not defined by the accident. He takes care of His people, but that doesn’t mean we don’t experience the fall out of evil in our world. He promises to walk with us through it. He promises His justice. Evil wears out because it “eats its own” just as a wasting disease will “eat” the host until there is nothing left to survive, then the disease also dies with the host it destroyed. This is evil. God never designed our bodies to host wasting diseases. He didn’t design us to sin. We were meant for more. Evil things have been happening behind the scenes of our government for years. It is now being revealed. Pray with us that the evil will not only be brought to light, but that it will also receive the just judgment of God and His righteousness through His people who are even now, building impenetrable cases to process. We pray for them. We must keep the courts in our prayers that the just judgments of God would be able to work successfully. We must not be discouraged when judges make rulings that are prejudiced, excessive, biased and unfair. Why? Because our hope is in the Lord who is above all and sees all and is faithful to His Covenant with those who believe. God always wins. Those who confront the evil of death, doubt and despair, are not forgotten. The mothers and fathers who lost children to fentanyl, brought in and distributed illegally in our nation, are not forgotten. The people struggling to pay debts, to provide for family and be good stewards are not forgotten. What is needed is for the Church Jesus is building to realize the power of her voice among the nations to make a difference; speak forth the will of God, His one Will, His Just Judgments. What we have currently is a church that is praying in a dozen or more different directions. Because God has Chosen to work through us, is it not important that we steward that responsibility corporately with accuracy rather than personally? Is it a surprise that personal agendas are most likely not God’s agenda? If it is the Church’s mandate to push back darkness and administrate the principles of the Kingdom of God upon the earth, is it any wonder evil has gotten a foothold when we are so busy looking after “me, myself, and I” our own local church food banks and Sunday morning services rather than speaking as one with the whole church against the evil that is even making the food banks necessary? Here's a thought: Maybe those who run the food banks (for example) wonder what purpose they would have if the food banks were not necessary? (just a thought) Would they pray to end the need for something in which they are finding fulfillment? Could the concern for fulfillment, validation, and significance apply to any other Church-run organization made necessary because of the works of evil? I wonder, how many have read Matthew 23 lately? Maybe it isn't that. Maybe the sincere concern for others cannot see past the momentary need to the corporate power of the Faith of God and the one Church Jesus is building to confront the evil source and heal the root of the need. Something to think about, anyway... Grace and peace, my friends. Anne