Monday my daughter and I walked together. During our walk, she shared a dream with me she had the previous night. Disturbing to her, she wondered what she ought to do with it. Was it a warning? Should she call the people involved in the dream? Did it mean nothing?

A dream comes when there are many cares…

Ecclesiastes 5:3 NIV

Too much activity gives you restless dreams…

Ecclesiastes 5:3 NLTI a

As I said yesterday, I do not profess to be a dream expert. I just dream a lot. So, I have to do something with the ones I remember in the morning. One genre of dream I experience results from too much going on in my life. When my body and mind cannot shut down, I dream. And usually the dreams are of the most troubling kind. I can’t make my cell phone work, I can’t find what I need to do my job (I used to wait tables), I am rejected by close friends or siblings, my husband ignores me, etc. I awaken with the worst feeling that is difficult to shake throughout the day.

My strategy for this type of dream is to examine it for any nugget of truth. Perhaps I am going to be meeting with friends; the dream helps expose insecurities I need to acknowledge. It puts me be in a better place to be the best version of me.

If I find nothing in the dream I need to acknowledge in my life, I use the dream as a warning flag. As the wise teacher said in Ecclesiastes, dreams come when there is too much activity or cares in life.

Slow down. Take a breath. Relax.

What are your dreams telling you? Do you need to slow down? (That’s almost funny right now, isn’t it?!) Perhaps your social calendar has been emptier the last few months. Does joining social events give you angst, resulting in troubling dreams? Examine them for nuggets of truth, take a deep breath and carry on!