HWY 1230
I am not one who likes being up in front of others and I especially do not like being videotaped. After high school with no intentions of going to college back in the 90s I guess one could say that I was inspired to start college. Most who knew me at a younger age knew I was the “quiet and shy one” that rarely if ever spoke to others whether I knew you or not. As I changed my major to Psychology some of my requirements was to get up in front of class and give verbal presentations while being videotaped. That was bad enough, but the worst part even yet was that we then had to re-watch the video in front of the class as the professor and class critiqued it. I came very close to dropping out over it. I can now say that I am thankful I did not, but as I mentioned I still prefer not being on camera.
However, when the pandemic hit and for a time it was “discouraged” to attend church in person, this was before I became a pastor, when I was a youth minister and preached usually only once a month the Lord would still give me a “message,” so my wife encouraged me to share some “online.” I ended up doing 4 messages and then had the idea to make some “shorter” messages of words of inspiration and encouragement.
I call them J.A.M. sessions (which stands for taking Just a moment) to expound on a Scripture or thought. In the last 4 years due to my extreme dislike for being on video I only made 8 videos from 2020 to 2022. In December of 2023 I had a thought to do another one but kept putting it off until April and then did another one May 7th of this year about a dream I had which is what this article started out being about. I guess I thought you needed a backstory on how the videos started. Anyway, I had a dream recently that I felt was one that needed to be shared.
I was driving down a road and I was lost. I had no idea exactly where I was in the dream though I thought I had an idea of where I was, yet I was still lost. I would go down one road, then another. Some roads were narrow, some bumpy, but none was giving me a clue to where I was at. I got out my phone GPS and thought I could use it to find my way, but of course it wouldn’t work. I then saw a sign that said JCT Hwy 1230. I didn’t recognize that highway, but knew if I just got to that main highway even though I didn’t know if I should turn right or left, just being on that road I knew would help me find my way to where I needed to be. Once I got to HWY 1230 I woke up.
The more I pondered the dream in the days ahead I felt there was some meaning to it. I had recently preached on Mark 12:30 which is the greatest command, to “love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.” Once I thought of that it was like the dream made sense. Whenever we are lost and needing direction in our life even if we are not sure which way to go, just Love God with everything within us and that will lead us to where we need to be.
~TRS 5/12/24
Rays of Hope 