Lone Rangers

I had a very disturbing dream, one of those dreams that you know is telling you an uncomfortable truth. I don't know if everyone dreams this way, but I dream in symbols. And if I wake up shortly after the dream, I usually understand what my subconscious (or perhaps God) was trying to tell me. He speaks in metaphor and parable to soften the blow.

Here's the dream:
I was throwing a baby shower for a friend. The strange thing was, she wasn't even my friend. She was a friend of my kid. So my kid and all her friends were there, but they didn't know about the shower, they didn't know to bring gifts, and they were shocked as the party unfolded. I had bought all the gifts, arranged the whole party, ordered the cake...everything. Not even the friend for whom the shower was being held knew she was going to get a baby shower. And she wasn't happy. None of the people were happy. All of them had wanted to be a part of the planning, the gift giving, the organizing...and all felt cheated of their rightful role. When asked to explain why I had done this without getting any help from the people who should have been helping, I had some lame excuse (it was probably too awful for even my subconscious to handle so I don't remember it....)

This folks, is called "standing alone." I may be a tree IN the forest, but I didn't want to be OF the forest. Now there is a positive way of viewing this. Spiritually, we are told to be in the world but not of the world. We are to stand alone if need be against evil and darkness. However, I would be lying if I pretended that is the sense I got from the dream. It is not. The dream was about a prideful, arrogant, take charge and do-it-yourself prig who ticked off everyone around her.

God didn't make us to be lone rangers. He put us in community for a purpose. He describes Christians as all "parts of the body" for a reason. Each part has a purpose, each part has a role, and each part is critical. No one stands alone. That baby shower was not mine to throw. I ruined the baby shower for the new mother. I awoke feeling like a complete louse.

I am not telling you this so you will send sweet comments about how I am really not as bad as my dream painted me to be. I am telling you this because the dream convicted me, and you would be doing me a disservice to soften the message. I am telling you this because maybe there are others out there like me who could learn from my dream. The positive message is not that we should not stand alone, but that we don't have to! What a relief! Smack-down and comfort, simultaneously.

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1 Corinthians 12:27-31 

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Romans 12:4-5 

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Colossians 1:18 

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Colossians 3:14-16 

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.