In an earlier post, I described when I first realized the Spirit of God was communicating with me. It wasn’t in a dramatic sense, but in a normal, everyday interaction. You can read about this 9th grade event here. That story sets the stage for this one.

Not long after the first interaction with the Holy Spirit, I had a strange and vivid dream. So vivid I still remember it today. I dreamed that my family drove up to the mountains to see a house.

In my dream, it was dark as we parked in front of a house that sat atop a low hill. The house was red with white trim. There were no other houses nearby. We all got out of the car, and while the family went inside I walked around the outside.

Standing in the driveway, I was looking into the darkness down the south side of the hill. My dad walked up and asked, “What do you think?” I told him the house seemed nice.

“What is down the hill and out there?” I asked, pointing south into the darkness. He replied, ” That is the property that goes with the house. There is a creek down there. Across the creek is a large area of forest. You can roam in that area. I know the owner and he gave permission for you to do that.”

In my dream I dimly see the creek and the trees in that direction. The dream ended there, and I awoke. The dream’s vividness was startling to me. I did not mention the dream to my family. But I would not forget it, either.

Not many weeks after this my father told us we had purchased a house in the mountains. We planned to go up to the mountains that coming Sunday. It was to attend an evening service in a little mountain church. Afterward we would go inspect the house.

That Sunday afternoon we loaded into the car and journeyed to the little church. When the service was over, we then set off in search of the house.

The mountains can be quite dark on a moonless night. Such was this night. We pulled into the driveway. We shut off the lights and waited by the car. Dad figured out how to turn on the power. It was quite dark.

The lights came on, and the house was revealed. I was startled. Then stunned. And speechless.

In front of me, sitting on the crest of a small hill, was a red house with white trim. Like the dream. We went inside and check it out thoroughly. It was a very nice house.

Remembering the rest of the dream, I went outside and stood in the driveway. Looking south and downhill from the house, I saw the shapes of trees. They were in what looked like a creek bottom.

While I was peering into the dark, my dad came up and asked, “Well, what do you think?” Remembering this scene from the dream, I asked, “What is down the hill?”

He replied, “That is the pasture that is part of the property. There is a creek down there. Across the creek are over 500 acres of forest. You can roam in them. The owner already gave his permission for you to do that.” Everything that was happening was very much like the dream, down to the details.

I had no idea how to respond to what was happening. I was still in a stunned state emotionally. I stood there staring into the darkness for a long time.

We soon got back into the car and started for home. On the way home, I spoke little. I realized that the dream was divine. I knew at that point the move was going to be good because somehow God was working.

Indeed, the move turned out to be a pivotal event in my life spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Nothing would be the same from that point onward.

For the first time, I knew what it was like to trust God. I learned to listen for Him and go in faith into the unknown. This was the first in what has been a life-long journey filled with going in faith into many unknown situations.

Banner image – the house in this story.