Today’s Verse
“No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” — 1 Corinthians 10:24 NIV
Last night I had a dream. Not that it’s uncommon for me to dream, but this one was special. I always hear people say that when God talks to us, sometimes it’s more of a whisper than a wave. It can be different for everybody. Over the past couple of years, i’ve noticed God talks to me through my dreams. Most are just random dreams, but every once in a while I‘ll get one and know there’s a special meaning behind it. Sometimes the meaning’s clear as day, while others may take some thought. Well, the one I had last night was the kind where the meaning’s revealed while you’re still asleep!
A Bit of Background
Over the past couple of years, I’ve tried learning American Sign Language (ASL). I’m a fast learner and the kind who retains things really well. Due to this, I get super excited, dive deep, and often times get burnt out. Not only does ASL take a lot of time & thought, but it’s hard learning on my own. I don’t know anyone who knows/speaks it, so it’s not like I have someone to help me or practice with. So, eventually, over the years, I’ve slowly given up on it all together.
About a month ago, I saw a girl at my church sign to her boyfriend and he signed back. I realized I may actually need ASL at some point in my life. This gave me some new motivation, so, I’ve started learning again.
I want to learn ASL not because I’m afraid I’ll go deaf, but because if I encounter someone who is deaf/hard of hearing, I want them to know that someone cares. That others love and support them. Also, I never want to be the person who gets annoyed or angry at someone, all because I didn’t take some of my time out to learn their language. I’m 98% positive that if they could speak my language, they would. But the fact is, they literally can’t. If I have the ability to help them in their time of need, and sacrifice nothing but some of my free time, why wouldn’t I at least try? Especially when it could change someone’s life—hence my dream.
My Dream
This dream was kind of a crazy one. It wasn’t exactly realistic and there was a bit of haze & light speed transporting in it.
It started out with me walking out the front door of my house. I looked to my left to see 3 new neighbor kids standing in their yard, about 15ft away from each other. The two boys in the front kinda looked like they’d jumped right out of the Peter Pan movie! Their hair was crazy and they were covered in blue & white paint stripes. They looked kinda freaky, so of course I didn’t approach them. Lol. The 3rd was a girl, standing in the back. She seemed about my age (17), but when I called out to her, she didn’t turn my way. Since she seemed somewhat normal, I approached her, I’m not sure what I said. I noticed she didn’t seem to comprehend what I was saying so I went to ask in ASL, “Are you deaf or hard of hearing?” As soon as she realized I was signing, with a giant smile on her face, she quickly said, “Hard of hearing.”
I was so relived that she finally understood me! That was until she started rambling off lots of signs I’m unfamiliar with. It was kinda stressful trying to get her to slow down without knowing how to ask her to slow down. Lol. I told her I speak very little ASL, but she was still super happy that I was at least trying to understand & communicate with what I did know.
Like any normal dream, I was instantly transported. I went from my neighbors yard, to my church’s ‘Connection Cafe,’ where I volunteer my Sunday mornings to serve free coffee & cookies. Standing behind the counter, I saw a new family walk through the main doors, and I instantly recognized the neighbor girl. She was super happy when she saw me, and explained to her family that I was the girl who knew some ASL. She also said how I was super understanding and nice to her. They thanked me a lot, and said that their daughter was very thankful to have made a friend so quickly, in the unfamiliar town they’d moved to (my town). The girl was so overjoyed, that she started crying. I couldn’t handle all the joy and love she felt, just from my small attempt at ASL, that I started crying too.
Lesson Learned
So in conclusion, do good for others even when you think you won’t get anything out of it. You never know what God has in store. Not that you should do good, looking to be benefitted, but for the benefit of others. For example, my small attempt at ASL did end up benefitting me, but not how you would expect. It was such an AMAZING feeling to give another person that kind of joy and feel it radiating off of them! Not only did I make the girl happy, her parents were too! They were sooo thankful. The fact that they came to my church, because of the kindness I showed their daughter, touched me so much. I led them to God’s house by simply showing them kindness and that I care!
This dream could easily happen in real life—other than the fact that I transported 30 minutes away, in light speed. But I guess with God, anything’s possible! So, from now on, I’ll try to apply what I learned from this dream to real life, by showing kindness to others. I hope you learned something new too and that you also apply it to your life! God bless!
You’re Blogger,
Summer Mulkey ❤️
WOC | Warriors of Christ 