Dan’s warm palm cupped my shoulder and shook me awake. “You’re having a nightmare. You were crying.” I turned to him for a quick cuddle, then slid out of bed to let him sleep. My heart still raced and the sadness still felt more real than the softness of the robe I pulled on as I went downstairs. I put the kettle on and opened my tea drawer, rustling around for my favorite herbal. While I waited for the boil, I recalled the nightmare.
It was not one of my perennials, nor a stress dream. I had been walking around the little village where I live when I passed an acquaintance. She smiled at me and said hello, but tears streamed down her face and her shoulders heaved with sobs. I stopped and gave her a hug. “Come and have a coffee with me. Let me listen and pray with you.”
We settled at a little outdoor table. She cradled her coffee cup while I waited for her to calm down enough to tell me her troubles. But I got distracted. A man at a table nearby mentioned that his glass was empty and he was thirsty. He started looking around for a waiter. I took my focus off my companion and started looking too. Soon I was up, running around, looking for someone to bring the man a glass of water.
When I returned, there was money on the table, but my companion was gone. I caught a glimpse of her walking down the street, and chased after, calling her name. I never caught up with her, never had a chance to listen to her and pray with her, never let her know someone cared. Dan woke me while I was still calling, chasing, and crying.
I sipped at my tea, thinking about the dream. How easy it is to take my gaze off the person right in front of me, the one God has given me to love in that moment. How tempting it is to run around, self-important, to do a task with measurable success. How much I can miss by not being faithful to wait.
The sorrow left by my dream cautions me. I don’t want to exclude myself from the tender privilege of sitting with someone else’s pain. I want to overflow the abundance of grace and mercy and lovingkindness God has given me. I want to be present with the one right in front of me, even if I can’t do anything tangible to help.
God, help us give genuine attention to the ones You place in our paths. Assure us that the task You have given is the most important one we can do at that moment. Help us see how very precious every soul is to You.
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