I woke up suddenly at approximately 3:50am in the middle of an unusual dream.  It’s not unusual for me to recall dreams and recount them to my wife, Robyn, but usually I wait until a reasonable hour.  Most of my dreams are weird - not bad, just weird - mostly being based on real life experiences such as catching the train to work or riding a motorbike. But this one was different.  I knew it fitted the category of Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17. 

Acts 2:17 KJV  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams  (sadly, I now fit the old man category, it appears...)

I did try to sneak out of bed but it seems I accidentally woke Robyn anyway.  So, I used the opportunity to bounce my thoughts off her.  I asked her:  What are the three most important words you can say?  I’m not sure if she’s getting used to me asking her theological questions in the middle of the night, as she sleepily responded:  Forgiveness?  (Did I miss a hint here?).  I clarified my request:  No, not just three single words, but three words joined together in a phrase.  She sleepily responded:  I love you? 

That was nice to hear but, if she was hoping that I would let her go back to sleep without further discussion, she was wrong.  I told her that I had a dream in which I had been “in communion with God” – praying – and He had asked me that same question:  What are the three most important words?  My answer was:  Lord, change me!

 You might argue that the three most important words might be “ Lord forgive me” but forgiveness alone is not enough; there must be an accompanying change! This present world is all about the second and third words in my phrase and almost totally not about the first.  This world is about me, me, me, me.  What can I get?  What about my rights?  What about me?  And about change.  This world has changed a whole lot since I was born in the middle of the 20^th Century.  Now change is both continuous and rapid.  But it’s not much about God and certainly not much about God changing them.  Even most Christians want things to change in their lives but they often expect that it’s others that are the ones who need to change, not themselves.  Maybe God allows circumstances in our lives because He wants us to change!  Maybe He allows irritating and unpleasant things to happen because He wants us to grow in faith.  We want the irritant out of our lives and He wants us to change for our own benefit.

James 1:2-4 KJV  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  [3]  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  [4]  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Perfect and entire, wanting nothing.  How awesome.  If we let God have His way in our circumstances and allow Him to change us, we get to be perfect and entire, lacking nothing!  Lord, change me, change me!  But you’re thinking:  I don’t want temptations, trials and tribulations.  What’s that trite saying?  No pain, no gain?  I may not want the trials but I sure do want the perfect changes that God brings into my life, if I allow Him to make them.

Robyn asked if I would remember all that in the morning and said I would.  I settled down beneath the doona but my mind wouldn’t rest.  So I turned on the bedside lamp and quickly jotted down the main points.  As I turned off the light at 4:03, I said to her:  I guess that’s one of the disadvantages of being married to a preacher.  And she responded with three more precious but sleepy words:  That’s okay, babe.  This was followed by a brief pause and she added three more:  I love you. 

Thank God that He has changed both of us!  How about you?