Bible May Shed Light on Fear of Being Lost

Dear Cynthia: I’m a 71-year-old woman and I’ve had the same recurring dream for a long time--and now it seems to happen at least once a week. I’m in a large city, lots of tall buildings, mazes of streets, and all of it looks vaguely familiar. But I’ve lost my way, separated from my family and can’t find them. In the dream, I usually come very close to a dangerous environment--dark streets, drugs, gangs and homeless people threatening me as I try desperately to find my way to my family. I teach a Bible study class, and I’ve always liked the dream interpretations in the Bible.

--VERA SCOTT CLODIUS

Anaheim

Dear Vera: Many people have had the recurring theme of being lost and trying to find home or family in a dream, nearly always there is the added element of danger, as if one wrong turn could be a disaster. For the faithful, the right way may be the righteous path, the danger then is of veering out of the light that is truth.

Your dream brings to mind, in a modern context, the 23rd Psalm--especially verse 4: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” As we age, it is natural to consider how long we will live and what happens when God calls us home. We may wonder, “Will I know the way? Have I lived a good life? Will my soul find its way to heaven and to the family members who have gone on before me?”

Perhaps this will comfort you and stop the disturbing dream: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” Psalm 119:105. Read this before you go to sleep and take comfort in knowing that we can never get lost. God will always lead us home--all we have to do is ask.

*

Cynthia Richmond is the author of “Dream Power, How to Use Your Night Dreams to Change Your Life” (Simon & Schuster, 2000). Fax your dreams to Cynthia Richmond at (818) 783-3267 or e-mail them to in.your.dreams@worldnet.att.net. Please include your hometown and a daytime phone number. “In Your Dreams” appears every Tuesday and should be read for entertainment purposes only.