Listening to God
Bobbi Vogel
One night in March of 2014, I had an interesting dream. It was a vivid, detailed portrayal of the events surrounding Christ's birth, but portrayed as a walk-through event on our church grounds. Although thinking it odd that the dream occurred in the spring of the year, I became even more perplexed when the same dream kept reoccurring night after night. I told my husband about the dreams and confessed to him that it was now becoming troublesome.
In April I met with Reverend Sarah and shared what I was experiencing. She sat quietly, not offering any insight or asking any questions. Finally she said, “And what are you going to do about this dream?” I was really taken aback by this comment and did not know how to respond. She went on to suggest that I write the dream down and share it with others to see what they thought - I agreed.
Reverend Sarah’s wisdom was right on target! After the very detailed and clear dream was put into written words, my nightly vision of a Good Shepherd enactment of the Christmas Nativity immediately ceased. As members of our church family read the story, they encouraged me to proceed. I put a steering committee together, and we jointly agreed that we must breathe life into this dream!
In May, with no budget and the support of a relatively small church family, the steering committee developed a blueprint based on the explicit details of my dream. There were many facets to this production; each one to be handled by volunteers. It was amazing to see individuals stepping forward and sharing their talents: electrical and technological skills, artistic and creative prowess, construction knowledge, and networking savvy. Some donated financially; others prayed and ran errands. Even the community contributed to the production. Full Sail College not only provided the lighting equipment but their expertise as well. The Boy Scout troop that meets at our church volunteered their services. Even All Souls Catholic Church shared their children’s choir. We all worked so hard, never questioning the dream or why it occurred, but determined to bring the story to life.
By December 14 our efforts culminated in a live, eight-scene nativity production located on the grounds of the Good Shepherd Church. Each display represented a specific Bible verse that was posted nearby. Members of our church family dressed in period costumes represented the characters in the verse. The realistic backdrops and professional lighting brought each set to life and created the sensation of being in the Middle East during Christ's time.
I will never forget the feeling I had when 6:00 P.M. on December 14, 2014, finally arrived. The Good Shepherd Episcopal Church campus came alive as church family, friends, and total strangers reverently walked the luminary lighted path experiencing the wonder of Christ's birth. The attendance exceeded our expectation. The journey ended in the church parish hall with refreshments, fellowship, and live entertainment. The evening was wrapped in hope, love and joy.
As I reflected on the nine months of preparation, I realized God uses many avenues to speak to His children. When I would not slow down long enough to listen, He showed me over and over again in my dreams what He wanted accomplished. When our steering committee encountered obstacles, a path was always cleared, or someone stepped up to do what had seemed at first impossible.
Thanks be to God for being so persistent - even when we don’t understand or won’t listen. Thanks be to God for being so consistent - leading us and knocking down barriers all along the way. And, thanks be to God for being so loving and for reminding us that this is all about Him, not us.
In April I met with Reverend Sarah and shared what I was experiencing. She sat quietly, not offering any insight or asking any questions. Finally she said, “And what are you going to do about this dream?” I was really taken aback by this comment and did not know how to respond. She went on to suggest that I write the dream down and share it with others to see what they thought - I agreed.
Reverend Sarah’s wisdom was right on target! After the very detailed and clear dream was put into written words, my nightly vision of a Good Shepherd enactment of the Christmas Nativity immediately ceased. As members of our church family read the story, they encouraged me to proceed. I put a steering committee together, and we jointly agreed that we must breathe life into this dream!
In May, with no budget and the support of a relatively small church family, the steering committee developed a blueprint based on the explicit details of my dream. There were many facets to this production; each one to be handled by volunteers. It was amazing to see individuals stepping forward and sharing their talents: electrical and technological skills, artistic and creative prowess, construction knowledge, and networking savvy. Some donated financially; others prayed and ran errands. Even the community contributed to the production. Full Sail College not only provided the lighting equipment but their expertise as well. The Boy Scout troop that meets at our church volunteered their services. Even All Souls Catholic Church shared their children’s choir. We all worked so hard, never questioning the dream or why it occurred, but determined to bring the story to life.
By December 14 our efforts culminated in a live, eight-scene nativity production located on the grounds of the Good Shepherd Church. Each display represented a specific Bible verse that was posted nearby. Members of our church family dressed in period costumes represented the characters in the verse. The realistic backdrops and professional lighting brought each set to life and created the sensation of being in the Middle East during Christ's time.
I will never forget the feeling I had when 6:00 P.M. on December 14, 2014, finally arrived. The Good Shepherd Episcopal Church campus came alive as church family, friends, and total strangers reverently walked the luminary lighted path experiencing the wonder of Christ's birth. The attendance exceeded our expectation. The journey ended in the church parish hall with refreshments, fellowship, and live entertainment. The evening was wrapped in hope, love and joy.
As I reflected on the nine months of preparation, I realized God uses many avenues to speak to His children. When I would not slow down long enough to listen, He showed me over and over again in my dreams what He wanted accomplished. When our steering committee encountered obstacles, a path was always cleared, or someone stepped up to do what had seemed at first impossible.
Thanks be to God for being so persistent - even when we don’t understand or won’t listen. Thanks be to God for being so consistent - leading us and knocking down barriers all along the way. And, thanks be to God for being so loving and for reminding us that this is all about Him, not us.
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