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As I looked down I saw a gold wedding band, similar to my own, lying on the ocean floor. As I dove to the bottom to grasp this precious band, I was then aware of two other things. First of all, there were other rings, many perhaps, scattered out across the sandy seabed. Secondly, I was very aware of the surface of the ocean above me. Though there were scattered rays of light filtering down through the water and bouncing off of the gold rings, the surface of the ocean was rough and I knew that above it were storm clouds. I woke up as I clutched the first ring, aware that there were many others in my sight.
I don't always analyze dreams and certainly they are not all messages from God. Sometimes it's the burrito I ate the night before. But sometimes there's a certain quality about a dream that sets it apart from others and seems to demand interpretation.
My first thought concerning the dream was that wedding bands speak of covenant. They speak of relationship. Every lost person represents a potential covenant son or daughter for Christ. Ministry demands that I go down into difficult places in order to bring precious souls to Christ. And as I am seeking to bring this one to the Lord, I am aware of the multitude of others waiting in darkness. I am also aware that I am battling the stormy gales of the enemy and the fierce waves of circumstance in order to keep diving...in order to keep doing the work of the Lord. I recognized that those rings were the ones Christ was bringing into His Church.
I was also aware that first and foremost, for us, these rings speak of marriage and commitment. Maggie and I have a strong and enduring marriage. We are not just marriage partners but best friends. We aren't just 'trying to stay married'. We are bound together in a deeper level of love than any other earthly love, and it is anchored in the bedrock of Calvary. It is something that comes from the Lord Himself. I am deeply aware of how blessed I am. In my dream, I was diving deeper in order to clutch this most precious thing: covenant love. Overhead, waves were crashing and storms were gathering, but I would not let go. And the rings in the distance? They were the other marriages all around us. Our marriage can be a light for them or a shipwreck which leads them to destruction.
How often I wish that others could understand this scene. Marriage is not something which can be maintained by skimming along the surface, always enjoying the view of sunshine and palm trees. Marriage goes deep. Wounds go deep. Love is deep. Sacrifice is deep. None of it is above 'sea level' where things are easily seen. You have to go down. You have to deny self. You must go below the surface. Your enemy desires nothing more than to take that covenant promise and cast it into the sludge below. The first year we were married, we went to the beach. I was out in the water and I simply embraced a coming wave, and suddenly I knew that my wedding band had slid off and was gone with that wave. I was distraught. Maggie reassured me and we bought another one immediately. Some people let marriage slide away just that easily and they do not realize that restoration is costly. And it is because they embraced something other than their first love. Restoration is also God's will.
Storms may rage overhead, but if your life is hidden beneath the surface in Christ, you will be able to cling to that precious covenant and be a light for others around you.
Lastly, as with most things, I think of the end times. Storms are raging around this world, and a great one is on the way. Bob Dylan, during his time of professing Christ, wrote the song "Slow Train Comin'. It speaks of end time calamities and the coming judgment of Christ. The chorus simply says, "and there's a slow...there's a slow train comin' up around the bend". Beloved, a raging storm is gathering. God's covenant people, who cherish their relationship with Jesus, will be hidden away. The amazing thing about the ocean is that there can be a storm raging on the surface and yet perfect calm on the ocean floor. Jesus is passionate about His bride. And if you are truly in covenant with Him, He will reach down on that sandy ocean floor, when you are just about to sink, and keep you in the palm of His hands....He cherishes covenant. As for Dylan, I don't know what happened. Perhaps he embraced a different wave.
In the Bible, the oceans often represent the peoples of the earth. The multitudes in darkness and confusion. The Lord is able to look into that murky deep and keep His eye upon every covenant son or daughter and at the perfect time, He will reach down and gather them from all nations of the earth.
How precious to wear His ring and to be His bride. Beloved, swim deep and stay under.
