A dream of what's coming

No really, a real dream. I just wish I had written it down as soon as I had it. I did tell it to several people; so, I think I remember it pretty well. It was one of those dreams that makes an impression, feels significant.

I am in a simple wooden house on what looks like a prairie. (I never saw that TV show.) There is a large picture window looking out on a vast plain. Carolyn (my wife) is there, very much in the foreground; our kids are also present, but more in the background. The dogs are there. It feels like a normal family scene.

Then, in the far distance a rather large, ominous, black cloud begins to form. It is a VERY large black cloud and it is moving toward us VERY fast. There is some alarm in the room, "Oh my God!, What's that! Oh No look what's coming. The cloud quickly grows larger as it approaches us. It's shape is rather unusual. At first it looks a bit like a cross, with extensions projecting out from the sides.

I, feeling quite calm, say, "Don't worry, it's just going to rain on us a bit. It's moving so fast, it will pass over us quickly. We may get a little wet, but we will be fine." I'm calm, rational, unafraid, but that changes quickly.

As this now huge, VERY black cloud gets above the house, its shape becomes clear. It is not a cloud but a huge bear. probably 2o feet tall. It is a beautiful black BEAR. As its shape fills the window, I notice something begining to emerge from its pouch. (You know, like a kangaroo has a pouch. This is a dream, remember.) It is rather like it is birthing something from its belly. It is a gesture of offering. It is giving me something...

What emerges is a stone totum of a Sprit Animal. It is a gift, a blessing, a totum from the bear. In the dream, and now, I am moved.....

Now the bear is on our roof, walking from one side to the other. The whole house shakes with each of it's steps. It is BIG and Magnificant and on our roof! My feelings are forced beyond their normal confines. The Energy, the Power, the fear, the blessing, the Spirit, the tears (again, the tears.) . Truely, this is more excitement than I can BEAR. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

This is so like me.... FIRST, calm, cool, non schalant, uninvloved, no big deal, just a cloud, just some rain, just shut down. THEN, oh my God, what is going on, what's about to happen, the tension, puffed up, ungrounded, inflated, frozen energy, its a freakin' bear!. FINALLY, broken by the beauty, softened, moist, blessed, human, God loves me, Nature blesses me, I AM alive, I am holy.

But wait...

Someone, I'm not sure who - Carolyn, one of the kids - runs to the other side of the room to look up, out of the window on the othe side of the house (where the bear is headed). As they look up and out, they gasp.

This is where the dream ends. I don't ever see what they saw when they looked out from the other side, but I know (in the dream) what they saw. They saw another bear. If the first bear was really big, for a normal bear, it still seemed like a very big normal bear. This second bear could only have been a Spirit Bear. The gasp was because this second bear really did fill the whole sky. It was humongus!!!

It was as though the Universe was saying, "You think that Bear was big, look at this!" You think that gift was beautiful, get ready. There is MORE on the way. Just look out the OTHER side, you will see. You will know.

So what does this all mean...

My belief is that the Cloud/Spirit/Bear is my trip to the Far East. Whether it is the country(s) - China, Thailand, India - OR the people - known and unknown OR the Seva (the selfless service, the karma yoga, providing drug treatment with yoga and meditation) OR simply being willing to say yes to this invitation OR some combination of them all; I know there are great gifts being given, great blessings being received; greater than I can even imagine. This isn't the conscious reason for my going. It is nonetheless, clearly a significant reason for my going. This Bear/Spirt/Journey will "force my feelings beyond their normal confines." I feel so grateful.