Passenger 57

Yesterday I went the entire day without realizing that it was the anniversary of 9/11. I sat in my apartment most of the day watching football and doing design work.

I retired at the early hour of 11pm and sank blissfully into my bed and wrapped myself in my cool white sheets.

I slept. Then the dream came.

For some reason I was in the military and I was getting to go home – from where I don’t know. I remember that I was going home with a friend and we were the only two in a private jet. In this particular jet the seats faced each other. Everything was going smoothly and suddenly the plane started going down. I gripped the seat tightly and quickly strapped on my seatbelt. The plane shook violently and I could see through the window that the plane was spinning out of control. Fear gripped my stomach and I looked across at my friend and I yelled out, “We are going down!”

I pressed my eyes tightly together and braced for impact. I said a quick prayer of forgiveness and asked the lord to please take me to heaven despite the fact that lately I haven’t been on my best Christian behavior. Then suddenly I realized that my friend was going to go to hell and so I yelled out, “Hey, do you want to go to Heaven or Hell?” He looked at me puzzled and I yelled out, “repeat after me!” I could barely breathe or even think straight. My eyes were still shut tight, fear was replaced by resignation and I said, “Dear God” and then I waited for my friend to repeat and he did! I continued, “Please come into my heart and forgive me of my sins.” I kep the prayer short and as soon as he was done saying it the plane leveled out and we landed without a problem.

When my dreams are this vivd I often look for a meaning within them. This time I didn’t have to look very hard. So often I put off telling close friends about God because I fear their rejection. I crave acceptance and so I don’t share the good news of Christ because most people don’t want to hear it.

The crazy thing is that I see my friends who aren’t Christians searching for meaning and happiness in their careers, or their relationships and in the end they only find emptiness. They have actually come to me and said, “Eddie, I feel empty.” They ask me why I am happy and I say God and they act like I am trying to sell them Amway.

I didn’t accept my faith in Christ blindly and I don’t expect others to do so either. I have studied other religions and done research and I always reach the same conclusion – There is a God and I believe in him and if there isn’t, what have I lost really?