What's In A Dream?

"Forgive them for what they did wrong and honor them for what they did right. ...and don't automatically assume you know the difference!" "Actually, what you don't know will hurt you."  "Learn from the past, address it in the present, and you will change the future." These statements are frame worthy if you ask me.

Yesterday I blogged about the burden of debt one generation can leave upon the shoulders of the next generation. It's not a simple matter and in this context, I'm not exclusively talking about financial debt. I'm talking about voids and depletions within anything from land and soil to the emotions of the human soul. A generation can leave a larger burden of debt than can ever be detected or even imagined if one only looks surface deep. 

As I explained yesterday, I had a dream one night while living in an apartment in downtown Fort Worth, Texas where "the Wagon Wheel" - symbolic and representative of the former generations of my family's pioneering existence and efforts here on earth - and all they stood for and still stand for today, came "flyin' from the sky." I have depicted this dream experience in this song: https://tinyurl.com/y6st9t8r Thomas Jefferson, whom I quoted in yesterday's blog, suggested that each new generation should review and adjust the laws of the last generation in order to make them applicaple to and equitable for the present generation. This is not that simple either. As a matter of fact, this seems to get more arduous by the day! But what am I to make of this dream I had? One thing I was sure of after having that dream was that I was called to relay my family's story for the benefit of future generations. In doing so, I came to see that my family matters were a micro peak into the nation's macro complexities. From there, I pull from the Proverbs for wisdom and guidance on these matters.  I will start at Proverbs 22:22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court.  

(It goes on to warn: For the Lord will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them.)  23:9 Do not speak to a fool for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.  19:1 Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.  21:11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom. When a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge. 21:13 If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.  11:19 The truly righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death.  

If you dug into the details of my family's history, you would find a fantastic mesh of righteousness, virtue, complacancy, outright rebellion, and sin - just as we would find if we dug into your family's history, and as we are now finding in so diligently digging into our nation's history for these insights. This is important and invaluable work folks, and we are blessed beyond measure when we turn it around for future generations.

Numbers 14:18 The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion, but by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation.  Numbers 14:8 If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into the land, a land filled with milk and honey, and He will give it to us.    

The entire bible is an if/then scenario. "If we do this then God promises that." Here again is this teaching boldy showing up as number one of the Ten Commandments, but in this passage God literally spells out an incredible promise! 

Exodus 20: 4-6 “You shall not make for yourself idols and images in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, have a deep, jealous love for you, therefore I place the burdens, for the purpose of insight, conviction, and opportunity for repentance and blessing, on the children, for the sins of their parents, to the third and fourth generations of those who rebelled against My love for them, BUT I show love toward and pour out blessings upon a thousand future generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

What??? Read that again! Sign me up! Where do I sign to see a thousand generations in front of me blessed by God? This is such good stuff and we are so privileged to be made aware of it and come to know it as the gospel truth!

Love to all,

Jill