A few nights ago, I had a strange dream. I was walking with a friend named Faith, and I was cradling an egg in my hands as we journeyed down this long, narrow path together. I knew we were close to the end of the road, but I was so worried I’d drop the egg and that it would be destroyed before I got to wherever I was going. My fears seemed unfounded because I had a good hold on the egg and I was taking care to walk at a slow pace, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling of foreboding.
Suddenly, it happened: the egg slipped from my grip and tumbled to the ground. Oh no! It was almost like some invisible force pulled it out of my hands and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I had been so careful! How had this happened?
I looked around and couldn’t see the egg anywhere. It was like it had disappeared – again, pulled away by some invisible force. None of this made sense.
I frantically searched the area for the egg. How far could it have gone? Simple logic told me it was unlikely to survive a fall like that.
I finally spotted the egg on the pavement several yards behind me. The shell was broken, but I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that at least two-thirds of it was still in one piece, the yellow yolk resting inside, undamaged. I gently picked the egg back up, and I instinctively knew I’d get it safely to our destination now.
I woke up from my dream and immediately thought, “Walk by faith.”
Of course! 2 Corinthians 5:7. I had been “walking by Faith” in my dream. That made for a pretty easy interpretation.
The New King James Version of 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
I also like how The Message paraphrases verses 6-8: “That’s why we live with such good cheer. You won’t see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don’t get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we’ll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.”
I think holding the egg in my dream represents guarding the promises of God. Sometimes things get broken, no matter how careful we are, and the situation is beyond our control. But broken doesn’t always mean destroyed! It might even look like all hope is lost, but how it looks isn’t necessarily how it is.
That’s why it’s important that we walk by faith, not by sight.
I think God wants to remind us to keep walking with eyes of faith, no matter how things may look around us. What appears to be a bleak situation in our eyes can still be redeemed by God. Even when it’s out of our hands, it’s still in his. He is the God of the impossible!
It’s also worth noting that in the dream, I picked the egg up from the pavement behind me. On your journey, you might be the pioneer who’s paving the way for others to follow. For you and for the ones to follow, don’t give up! Pick up your promises and keep walking by faith!
May we each be able to say:
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7 NASB