The huge and formidable highway looked wide and new and it had the finest of gravel on it. It was long and yet, there was not one single sign on it, saying in what direction everyone was traveling. The lines were very long and for the most part, those traveling on the highway ranged from the most powerful, the most glamorous, the most wealthy, the most famous to the hordes of normal everyday people; some of them even appeared to be the poor.
It looked like a huge mass of humanity walking in one direction and I could not understand fully, what I was seeing. It did not appear to be a group with the same mentality and yet they moved in the exact same direction without pause or question. I knew some of them; friends and acquaintances, but the vast majority I didn’t know personally. Yet I knew of them. I remembered seeing pictures of them, even in films or in the news.
Their steps appeared to be slow and plodding, their faces seemed drawn and without a single bit of passion, almost like droids moving in a single mass. Where had all those well manicured faces gone to? It appeared there were lines of tears, stained into the stony facades of their faces, as if they had just left a funeral or burial. They appeared listless, tired and forlorn, as compared to the pictures and films with which they had been involved. Slowly and without end, they plodded along, shoulder to shoulder, caring little to whomever was next to them.
The most notable of them were no longer looking bright or shiny or glamorous and it was almost as if their star-like qualities were dark-gray and drawn; a huge lack-luster had enveloped them. It seemed as if they have lost every ounce of life and only the darkness surrounded them. It was like looking at a huge unending mass of people under low-sodium lights and I could not discern the beginning from the end.
There was no sound, no talking, not even so much as a groan or a whisper, even their footsteps made no noise of any kind, yet they plodded along. Looking from where they began, it was dark and there was nothing discernible, as was the direction in which they were walking…nothing but darkness. Where had all that joy and singing and happiness gone to?
Where were all the flashes of cameras? Where was the red-carpet and the hordes of people being held back. Where were the smiles, where were all the Limos lined up at, leaving the notable to walk along. There were no congratulations, no honors, no trophies, just empty hands hanging at their sides.
As I continued to look ahead of them, I began to see that there was a great fire or at least the light from it. And I sort of felt strange, in that, one never walks to a fire, one runs from a fire! And as I continued to look I began to feel the heat from it, like a huge and fierce fire and it began to sting my eyes and the skin on my face. I felt great sadness and depression, the likes I have never know before!
I also felt such great anger and hatred flowing as if at any moment it would reach out and grab me from where I was standing. Terror shot through my entire body; it rattled me so badly that I could almost feel my body and soul separate. I jerked back. Fear like I have never known in my entire life coursed through my heart, and yet those plodding along on the highway never gave a twitch. How is it that they were so calloused to everything I had just felt, yet they simply walked on.
My nightmare was scary, beyond anything I had ever known and I wondered what all was happening …and then it suddenly changed.
I could see a small, country sort of path; flowers beaming on both sides. And there were people on this path as well. But they were entirely different than those on the huge highway. As the people walked along, I could see smiles and some were even singing. What was so strange to me was as they walked along, their faces and bodies changed…they were becoming younger and more healthy looking.
I tried to look from where they had begun and I could not discern the beginning. It was strange, because the old were younger and the babies were older, like everyone was in their prime of life. When I looked to where they were headed, the light was so bright, it hurt my eyes, sort of like looking at the sun directly.
For whatever reason, I continued to look at where they were headed and the light became even brighter, yet the pain of the light was gone. Those on the path began to jump and dance around, so to speak, but they seemed happy and ecstatic beyond imagination. All of them began to clap and sing and dance about.
The light was like a beacon of love and happiness that I have never known, but as I watched I wanted more of it. I wanted to jump from where I was standing and join these people, it was so contagious and so thrilling and yet it was like my feet were nailed in place. I could only watch and hear.
And again, my view was instantly changed!
I was taken back to the huge highway and I could hear a heinous laugh from up ahead and suddenly it would be mixed with screams of horror and terror. I tried to cover my ears but the volume was beyond comprehension and it felt like it was piercing my heart at the deepest level. Then I could hear moans and groans from that direction, pleas for help shrilled though the air. The agony I could hear almost turned my heart to stone, it was so pitiful.
There was nothing I could do, but I knew that wherever this highway lead to, I did NOT want to go to. I was standing there and I could feel the tears streaming down my face, stinging my face as they fell. I felt so depressed, so alone, without hope. It seemed to drag my heart down and I longed just to see a clear blue sky for just a second.
Now the heat was almost unbearable and the people just kept moving in the direction of the furnace, despite the horrendous heat. As they walked along their faces began to mirror the terror of the direction they were headed. And yet not a single one of them tried to stop or change direction.
I was quickly trying to move away from what I was witnessing but I couldn’t move and if I couldn’t move, I feared I would be found among this huge mass. I began to cry even more and my hands and eyes longed to see the little path, with all the flowers.
“Oh my God!” I began to scream at the top of my being. “PLEASE…don’t let me walk this highway! PLEASE let me walk the country path!” And then I felt like I was half awake and was falling. Fear gripped my heart like a vise. I suddenly believed I was falling into the mass of people on the highway. And then I was wide awake and lying on the floor.
I had fallen out of my bed. My t-shirt was soaked with sweat and the tears were painfully evident on my face. My hair was matted and stuck to my skull like paint. My heart was racing like it would explode at any second and I couldn’t catch my breath. I feared the heat in my dream would sear my lungs. Suddenly, I took in a huge lung full of air, sweet cool air. I felt my heart begin to slow down, the racing was abating. “Thank you Lord for the cool ceramic tile on the floor!”
With trepidation and fumbling hands and rubber-like legs, I managed to stand-up. There were no nails or bolts holding my feet in place, nor was there a highway and masses of people. The screams and horrid laughter were gone as well, but the fear was still there. It was 8:20 a.m. in the morning and I mustered my few thoughts and called my closest friend, Gary. I told him I had just had a real nightmare and was wondering about the Bible verses he had told me about the day before. The ones about the broad and wide highway to destruction and the narrow path to heaven. He said it was in Matthew 7 in the Bible:
Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
I asked him to read it to me, just as its written there. After reading it to me, He asked me if I wanted him to come over and explain it to me. I told him “No! You come over and let me explain it to you in detail!” I stated to his surprise. Twenty minutes later Gary and his wife, Marla were at the door.
“First tell me how to be saved to Jesus Christ?” I asked and he began to tell me what to pray and I slid off my chair onto my knees and began to pray exactly what he told me to say. I prayed like there was not going to be a tomorrow or even another hour. I prayed with all my heart and every bit of my Spirit. I did not want to walk that huge highway.
Before, I had always been the life of every party, pushing the booze and every blasphemous joke I knew and everyone would be laughing. Except my best friend and his wife. Often they would cheerfully give their thanks for a wonderful time, but then said that they had to leave. I would often times remark that they needed to loosen up and enjoy themselves, but that never happened. Despite everything I would say or do, they held my friendship dear to them. Never once condemning me, never once giving up on me and now I am so thankful for all of that.
“So… What’s up? What’s with all the fierce speed here for salvation?” Gary asked me, and his wife just sat there on the edge of her seat waiting for an answer. I began to tell them my nightmare in all its gory details and at times I could see the horror in their eyes and by the time I was finished they were clapping together. Right along with me, because now I would walk that country path with them.
So now, you’re probably wondering if that was me in that dream. Nope, but I know a guy who had it. If for one moment you think that this is just a story to amuse you, it is NOT!
This is in the Bible, not word for word but close enough for me. And my friends, that is what counts, what the Bible says to me and it says almost the same thing to you, but in your heart and in your way. (It’s personal like that.)