Past The Wall of Tears
Friday, April 09, 2004
Stilling The Anger
In the bible there's a phrase which states, " And these signs shall follow them that believe..." (Luke 16: 17). This is in the context of Jesus instructing his disciples to go into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature. In the same chapter, verse 20, we read: And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.
I've had a lot of very interesting experiences in my life. Some explanable and others unexplanable. Some miraculous, others mystical. Again, I am in the middle of one of these times. It all has to do with the number 222. Here it is.
One night last week, toward the latter end of March, I awoke with my eyes just suddenly "popping open." Immediately I looked at the alarm clock and it was 2:22 a.m. I turned over and went back to sleep. Later on in the day I had to phone my wife using my cell. My cell, as most cells do, records the length of the call in minutes and seconds. The exact length of this call was two minutes and twenty-two seconds: 2:22. I thought, hmmm...interesting. The following night it happened again, my eyes popped open and it was exactly 2:22 a.m. Monday evening, April 5th, I went to the ministry which I play drums for. The service was over and I stood outside the church doors waiting for my wife to pick me up. I looked at a notice on the church door posted by another ministry that uses the same building, it read: To the congregation, our church time has been changed to 2:22 p.m, Sunday afternoon. I stood, staring, almost in a meditative state, thinking on the significance of 222. I let it go knowing some where, some how, the answer will come. Tuesday, April 6th, I went to the hospital to visit my brother. As I was walking on the hospital grounds I was thinking, if I had driven (as I had taken the city bus), where could I have parked? I noticed that every parking lot had signs that read: "Parking by hospital pass only." I looked toward a car to see what this pass looked like. Of the fifty plus cars in the parking lot, the very one I looked at had a parking pass numbered 222.
Thinking on this not as coincidence but surely as "these signs shall follow them that believe..." I spoke to my brother about it. He is seventy-five years old and also is a christian. He sat there and smiled his beautiful smile filled with wisdom and said," Be patient. God will reveal it to you in His time."
Last night I had a dream (April 9th). In my dream I was in a huge auditorium. I was sitting in the front row of velvet covered seats, burgundy in color. In the rear part of the auditorium there arose a commotion. I turned to see what was happening. There was a man; drunk, enraged, and angered. He was creating such chaos, even threats, that no one dared go near him. I knew this man but I did not want him to notice me...he was the brother of my wife. Finally, not knowing what to expect, I turned to face him. No words were spoken. He took one look at me, ran toward me, was crying and gave me the biggest embrace he could find. We held each other as I told him it's alright, everything is going to be O.K.
He then asked for his sister. I told him she was upstairs packing as she was leaving. There had been a conflict between the both of them that had her hurt and afraid...he wanted to see her before she left. Two of my sisters appeared, they asked for my wife. I said she was up stairs packing, she's getting ready to leave. Immediately they assumed that we had had another fight and somewhat frowned upon me. I just looked at them and didn't say anything.
Now upstairs, the brother still drunk but in absolute control, ran into an open room and jumped immediately into a bed. He just wanted to rest. I told him no, this is not your sister's room. Come on, let's go. A boy and a girl were sleeping in their own beds in the same room. Having awakened they ran out of the room. I told them not to be afraid, they weren't in any danger.
My wife then came to the area that we were in. I told her where her brother was, she went to get him, the dream ended.
I shared this dream with my wife. This is her interpretation.
The drunk man symbolizes your past (as he is younger)- your old, distorted self, bound by alcoholism and anger. That part of you that often wants to hurt me. In your dream your new, healthy self, finds a way to still the anger of the old self. It signifies healing. Your old self running to embrace your new self: this embrace represents acceptance, unity, and the result of that is inner peace.
As I think of this it is very much true. My inner child needs no longer to be afraid. There is no more fear, no danger...no more dark rooms to run out off. That as I continue on my healing journey I will find places of rest and a place of absolute peace. That unity I am seeking for most in my marriage, it will come.
"And these signs shall follow them that believe..." Two-twenty-two: 222...and two shall be one.
Godwin H. Barton
