Curtains

I haven’t been remembering my dreams much lately.

My sleep has been interrupted with tossing and turning. And it never seems to be quiet enough. When the alarm goes off too suddenly and too early, the dreams I might have had vanish away in an instant as my exhausted mind grasps for God's faithful presence to get me out of bed.

But the other morning I awoke from a vivid dream that haunted me with His sweet holiness and awakened my spirit. Moments from it keep replaying in my mind ever since. When I stop and enter in again, I feel encouragement from the Holy Spirit flood into my weary bones.

I will do my best to recreate the scene for you.

I entered into a house and up many flights of stairs into the topmost floor. The upper room. It is so hot, stuffy, and dark. There are large windows all around, but they are draped with black curtains, only cracks of light between them. Everyone there is drowsy from the heavy atmosphere.

I hear inside of me the clear voice of Jesus telling me to push the curtains out of the way. As I do, a soft spring sunlight and a fresh, cool breeze flows in and through the room, and it revives us all.

Throughout my everyday, day-after-day mess and monotony, the Holy Spirit has brought this dreaming moment back to me, and I can breathe again. I can see again.

That same courage to hope drifts in like a delicious waft of ocean air.

Then I remember again that He loves me. I remember that I can hear Him. He speaks to me in ways I best understand. He reminds me who I am as His child. He is not going to leave me closed up tight in the small enclosure I sometimes run to when I am tired and afraid.

The curtain is torn.

“Then Jesus shouted out again, and He released His spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart.”
—Matthew 27:50–51

At this time in the Bible, Jesus has just died on the cross. He hasn’t even been resurrected back to life yet. But what stood between a Holy God and a sin-stained people was removed.

From top to bottom.
From heaven to earth.
From Him to us!

The way was forged through Jesus' broken body for mankind to forever be in an unbroken relationship with our Father. Simply by recognizing our need for His cleansing salvation and receiving what He has done for us.

The very next verse in Matthew 27 says this:

“…and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead.”
—Matthew 27:52

What feels and looks dead in your life today?
The forgotten or stifled dreams He has given you, the passion He has awakened within you that you have let fall back asleep?

Do you sometimes feel like you are asleep, going about the day to day like a dead man walking, knowing there is more from heaven for your life here on earth but too tired to reach for it? Too tied up in the time loops of necessity to make space for it? Feeling overcome with guilt for staying stuck when you know somewhere deep down that you hold the keys of freedom?

Jesus took them back from the devil when He plundered hell those three days His body was in the grave, releasing you from spiritual captivity, and has placed them in your hands along with the authority in His name to use them.

The tomb is opened.
You are made alive.
He whispers these words to your soul, “Arise and come with Me.”
Take His hand stretched out to you.
You are not separated from Him.
The curtains are torn.
Push them out of the way.
The Light has come.
Let Him in. The Mighty Wind wants to rush in and refresh you. Let Him!