The Amish Voice 8
The Dream
—
Lydia Chorpening
With a startled exclamation Mattie bolted
upright in bed. It was still the early morning
hours but her disturbing dream had awakened
her. Her jolting outcry had disturbed Milo
from a sound sleep.
“
Vas ist letz?” (What’s wrong?) He wanted
to know.
“
Oh, it’s so strange,” Mattie began. “Last
night I had a disturbing dream but I didn’t tell
you about it, and now I’ve dreamed it again.”
“
Well, what did you dream?”
“
I hate to admit it, but remember how you
have been telling me that we can only be
saved by the grace and love of God toward
us?”
“
I wanted to hold onto the tradition and the
rules made by the church as a way for God to
accept me into heaven. I knew if I believed the
things you’re telling me about simply
receiving salvation through Christ’s death on
the cross, I am sure it would lead to some
misunderstandings.”
“
Well it could, but what about your
dream?”
“
In my dream I saw myself walking on the
sandy shores of the Sea of Galilee. Suddenly I
came across a couple of deserted boats with
nets so full of fish I thought
they’d break. Why
would a fisherman
forsake such a
large drought
of fish when
they
could
provide
him
with a month’s
wages?
“
As I contemplated taking some for our
supper I looked to my right and plainly saw
Jesus with His disciples. He was talking
directly to one I recognized as Peter.
“
I couldn’t help but hear Jesus ask him,
“
Lovest thou me more than these?” He was
motioning toward the boat and fish where I
stood.
“
Peter strongly affirmed that He loved
Jesus more than his earthly career and
possessions. As I watched, Jesus asked him
again if he loved Him, and Peter said, “Lord,
you know that I love You.”
“
Then Jesus spoke the third time and this
time He looked directly into my eyes with a
look of compassion and asked me, “Do you
love me more than these?”
“
Milo, what do you think? How could I
dream the same vivid colored dream two
nights in a row? Do you think it is God’s way
of talking to me?”
“
I don’t believe that the devil would give
you a dream with references to Scriptures in it.
I do believe the Scriptural account is recorded
in one of the Gospels.”
“
Oh my, vas sell ich du?” (what shall I
do?)
“
Let’s pray together and ask God to show
us what He wants us to do,” Milo consoled
Mattie.
After they prayed a prayer of
submission to the will
of God, Mattie
felt at peace
and the two
got a few
more hours of
sleep
before
the
rooster
awakened them.
Regardless of the fact that all sorts of
questions crowded into her mind, Mattie
hummed some of the Hymns the young people
used to sing in the singings. There was a peace
that descended on her as she worked in her
folk’s Amish Country Store that morning.
“
Well, you seem unusually cheerful this
morning. Did something special happen to
you?” Mattie’s mother wanted to know.
“
Yes, it did.” Her reply was short and
without disclosing much detail. Mattie wanted
to drop the subject until she better understood
how their prayer of acceptance of God’s
saving grace, and their submission to His plan
could make such a difference in the way she
felt.
With new energy and focus she served the
customers that came to their country store and
by evening she was ready to connect with
Milo to see how he was doing. After the
supper dishes were washed Milo reached for
his Bible to find the account that would
correspond with His wife’s dream. He quickly
scanned the Gospels till he came to St. John.
There in the twenty-first chapter he read the
account.
Mattie listened intently and broke into
tears as Milo read the words of Jesus, “
Lovest
thou me more than these?
”
“
Do I really love Jesus more than this
comfortable house my parents furnished for
us? Do I love Jesus more than being well
thought of, by other people? Do I love Jesus
more than the provision we receive from
working in the store?”
Mattie’s soul-searching questions needed an
answer and she knew that she and her husband
were embarking on an unfamiliar journey.
Before the newly-weds went to bed that
night, they knelt and asked God to help them
love Him more than anything else, regardless
of what that might look like.
—
Lydia Chorpening, Shell Lake, WI
(715) 731-0035
Faith Alone
I have myself taught for twenty years the doctrine of faith alone by which, embracing the merits of Christ, we
stand accepted before God; and yet the old and determined mire clings to me so that I find myself wanting to
come to God bringing something in my hand, for which He should bestow His grace upon me. I cannot attain to
casting myself on pure and simple grace only, and yet this is highly necessary. Romans 11:6 —Martin Luther
