Now What?

So, I have these dreams. Very vivid dreams. So vivid, it's like I'm really living it. I'm really emotionally involved and when I wake up, it feels as though I haven't even slept. I've had them for as long as I can remember. I know it was before I was 10 years old. When I was younger, I would have them so often, I would plead and beg God to stop them from happening. For awhile, I wouldn't say they actually stopped, just affected me a little less. However, the past 13 years or so, they've been more frequent, vivid, disturbing, exhausting and many are reoccurring.

I can only remember one that actually happened the way it had in my dream. There are times that I have bad/good dreams that don't 'come true.' Most of the time, I can tell which ones are warnings of some sort. I have this feeling that I cannot describe.

There are a few frustrations I have with such dreams.

When these happen, I don't actually rest while I sleep. It is though the dream has actually happened, like I lived it. Not only do I feel the emotional feelings in the dream, I feel them when I wake up, just as strong. It's exhausting.

Why do I have these dreams if I can't give an exact translation? What's the point? I mean, maybe I could do something if I had a modern day Joseph to translate for me....but I don't.

Not familiar with Joseph? Click on Read More at the bottom of this post.

I will say, through a lot of prayer and replaying the dreams in my head, I can get a basic idea of what's going to happen. Which brings me to another frustration....

Now what? So, even if I have a basic translation---or even an exact translation, what the heck am I supposed to do with it. I mean, if I came to you and said, "Look, I've had this dream about you and this is what I gathered from it." What would you do/say? I mean, really? I would probably look at someone like....ok freak. Who is going to listen to ME? How will what I say prevent something from happening? Are you going to change something you're doing or not doing because I said I had a dream?

So, if I have these 'warning' dreams and no one is going to pay attention or DO anything about it, why must I be the one to suffer? Why do I have to go through feeling emotionally sick? Where is the purpose in that?

I mean, no offense, but I have enough of my own emotional baggage to sort out, why take on someone else's?

I would have no problem adding other people's issues to me, if there was a way it would help. But, it doesn't.




¹⁵ "I dreamed a dream," Pharaoh told Joseph. "Nobody can interpret it. But I've heard that just by hearing a dream you can interpret it."
 ¹⁶ Joseph answered, "Not I, but God. God will set Pharaoh's mind at ease."
 ^17-21 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile. Seven cows, shimmering with health, came up out of the river and grazed on the marsh grass. On their heels seven more cows, all skin and bones, came up. I've never seen uglier cows anywhere in Egypt. Then the seven skinny, ugly cows ate up the first seven healthy cows. But you couldn't tell by looking—after eating them up they were just as skinny and ugly as before. Then I woke up.
 ^22-24 "In my second dream I saw seven ears of grain, full-bodied and lush, growing out of a single stalk, and right behind them, seven other ears, shriveled, thin, and dried out by the east wind. And the thin ears swallowed up the full ears. I've told all this to the magicians but they can't figure it out."
 ^25-27 Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's two dreams both mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh what he is going to do. The seven healthy cows are seven years and the seven healthy ears of grain are seven years—they're the same dream. The seven sick and ugly cows that followed them up are seven years and the seven scrawny ears of grain dried out by the east wind are the same—seven years of famine.
 ^28-32 "The meaning is what I said earlier: God is letting Pharaoh in on what he is going to do. Seven years of plenty are on their way throughout Egypt. But on their heels will come seven years of famine, leaving no trace of the Egyptian plenty. As the country is emptied by famine, there won't be even a scrap left of the previous plenty—the famine will be total. The fact that Pharaoh dreamed the same dream twice emphasizes God's determination to do this and do it soon.
 ^33-36 "So, Pharaoh needs to look for a wise and experienced man and put him in charge of the country. Then Pharaoh needs to appoint managers throughout the country of Egypt to organize it during the years of plenty. Their job will be to collect all the food produced in the good years ahead and stockpile the grain under Pharaoh's authority, storing it in the towns for food. This grain will be held back to be used later during the seven years of famine that are coming on Egypt. This way the country won't be devastated by the famine."
 ³⁷ This seemed like a good idea to Pharaoh and his officials.
 ³⁸ Then Pharaoh said to his officials, "Isn't this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God's spirit in him like this?"
 ^39-40 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "You're the man for us. God has given you the inside story—no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom. From now on, you're in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you."
 ^41-43 So Pharaoh commissioned Joseph: "I'm putting you in charge of the entire country of Egypt." Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and slipped it on Joseph's hand. He outfitted him in robes of the best linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He put the second-in-command chariot at his disposal, and as he rode people shouted "Bravo!"
   Joseph was in charge of the entire country of Egypt.
 ⁴⁴ Pharaoh told Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but no one in Egypt will make a single move without your stamp of approval."
 ⁴⁵ Then Pharaoh gave Joseph an Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah (God Speaks and He Lives). He also gave him an Egyptian wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On (Heliopolis).
   And Joseph took up his duties over the land of Egypt.
 ⁴⁶ Joseph was thirty years old when he went to work for Pharaoh the king of Egypt. As soon as Joseph left Pharaoh's presence, he began his work in Egypt.

^47-49 During the next seven years of plenty the land produced bumper crops. Joseph gathered up the food of the seven good years in Egypt and stored the food in cities. In each city he stockpiled surplus from the surrounding fields. Joseph collected so much grain—it was like the sand of the ocean!—that he finally quit keeping track.
 ^50-52 Joseph had two sons born to him before the years of famine came. Asenath, daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, was their mother. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh (Forget), saying, "God made me forget all my hardships and my parental home." He named his second son Ephraim (Double Prosperity), saying, "God has prospered me in the land of my sorrow."
 ^53-54 Then Egypt's seven good years came to an end and the seven years of famine arrived, just as Joseph had said. All countries experienced famine; Egypt was the only country that had bread.
 ⁵⁵ When the famine spread throughout Egypt, the people called out in distress to Pharaoh, calling for bread. He told the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you."
 ^56-57 As the famine got worse all over the country, Joseph opened the store-houses and sold emergency supplies to the Egyptians. The famine was very bad. Soon the whole world was coming to buy supplies from Joseph. The famine was bad all over.