Dreams - The Tower

Over the past several days, I've become more and more interested in what some of my recurring dreams mean. (No, I have not seen "Inception" and my interest came before I even saw the trailer for it.) For those who know me, you know that I've always had an interest in those visions that happen at night while I sleep, mainly due to the fact that many have come true.

What has me most interested, however, are the dreams that I've had for years and years that never seem to go away. Whenever I have them again, I'm constantly questioning, "What issue am I not dealing with?" or "What in the world does this mean?"

One such dream, involves me being in the tower of a castle. Not the Disney type of castle, but this brown, 2 to 3 story, stone castle set in the middle of a desert with sand dunes all around. There are no glass windows, but just large openings where doors and windows would be. At some point in the dream, I'm looking at the vast desert through the 'window' of the tower, watching and waiting for something. It feels dangerous... like I'm not safe.

Sometimes, as I stand in that tower, I hold a book in my hands. A book, I can tell, that is very important. It's like I'm trying to protect it from being stolen or taken away. When danger starts to come, I usually hide it in a place that no one knows about. Other times, I run with it.

As I stand watching and waiting, there comes a time where I see the enemy coming (though most of the time I don't actually see it... I just know it's there). Only one or two times have I ever rushed out of the castle to meet the danger, usually with sword in hand. (If I do this, it's usually when I realize I'm dreaming because I can actually use the sword the right way and not get killed!) But all of the other times, I run through a maze of unfurnished, dusty rooms, trying to find a place to hide. Along the way, I remember a safe place... a secret passageway into a hidden room. At times, I've gone through the passageway only to discover other people hiding there. When I see them, I know that if I stay, they won't be safe, so I leave to find another hiding place. But even if I'm alone in that room, I never feel completely safe because I'm still hiding. That's when the dream usually changes or I wake up.

Part of me knows how significant this dream is, spiritually. It reflects what happens - or doesn't happen - in my spiritual walk with God. Such as my watching/waiting for danger. I always know an attack is around the corner, but sometimes I see it and sometimes I don't. The book... well... my belief in God has always been important to me, but I stumble so many times in making learning about Him and His Word a priority. The only place I know I can hide that book where no one else can get it (in my waking life) is my heart... and I don't even try to hide it there much anymore. And finally, there are times where I feel confident enough to do battle... but most of the time, I'd rather avoid confrontation, hiding behind this excuse or that excuse to avoid a discussion I might not have an answer to.

Might sound a little off the wall to some people, but I believe if you've experienced dreams like these over and over, there's something screaming to be made right or be dealt with. I don't think this one is 'dealt with' yet, but I know that facing it and seeing it for what it could mean is a step in the right direction.