I counted carefully to find that I need three more sheets of metal to finish the job. But it's late so I can finish nailing them on tomorrow, I thought. Tomorrow arrived. I stood across the road on the far side of the walnut tree, examining the roof to see whether the wind had not damaged the unfinished roofing project. Parts of the roof had shifted a bit, but there was no problem, except that it was beginning to rain. I walked to the shed where I had spent every year of my youth creating and fixing things. I found boots to wear, but they needed repair, and I remembered the need to improvise and be frugal so I fixed them up and donned them in spite of their uncomfortable fit. Then I decided on sneakers, for better traction on the roof.
Ok, the roof's done now. I'm extremely thirsty so I found a tin dipper in the milk house. It's really dirty and has a hole in it, so I plugged the hole with me thumb and rinsed the goop out, then drank from the faucet in stainless steel washing vat. A brother in law walks in, talking on his cell phone. I realize there are church problems going on, and I needed to try and heal the rift between us. It's morning and family members are tending to cows inside the barn. There's work tension in the air, people are hurrying around, but fairly friendly. I look for something to help with. The new hired man doesn't want to drive the manure spreading rig so someone asked me to take charge. I did.
It is springtime, and the first load is going out. The tractor and spreader are green. The spreader is unusually wide, and tires rubbed against the building as I pulled out of the barn. I found the job really interesting, as I had not helped in the barn for a few years. When I returned from spreading manure, a family member was seated outside the milk house door, near the cow's manger, conversing with a government official. I added a confirming word or two to the conversation and moved on.
When I awoke I pondered for hours, and days, the meaning of this full color, richly detailed dream. I don't have a lot of faith in dreams, and no, this blog is not about dreams. But for some reason there was one thing I got a strong signal on, and that is that now is the time to begin a blog.
I have lived a richly adventurous life, and I think my dream is a snapshot of details that have helped form my character and faith in God. My faith would be incomplete if it were not for years of spiritual and physical excersize that I have the pleasure of remembering and pondering. I want to share with others the joy of living and experiencing new light, growth and love, while intersperses moments from the past that make me who I now am, that enable me to appreciate the present, and that fill me with anticipation of a glorious future.
I'll sign off with a few boring questions. "Why is it that other peoples' dreams are boring but one's own are really interesting?" I also wonder whether I'm a rare person who dreams only dreams about myself, and the rest of you out there just as often dream second or third person.
Now I'll acutally sign off. It's Sunday, a beautiful day in Virginia's Shenendoah Valley, and there's love in the air. I cannot wait for today's golden moments of fellowship and sharing with friends.
