It’s been happening more lately. “Real dreams”. The ones that are so good and so tangible in the moment, yet so terrible in the waking. I had another just such a dream last night.

Braden was probably 10 years old and had come running towards me. I swooped him into my arms and covered him with countless kisses. Relishing each one. Suddenly, my wife Cathy was standing to my left. She began covering him with the same kisses and embraces. We were all happy.

In my head, I thought, “This has to be another one of those deceiving dreams. It’s just so real… but this can’t be”. Either our boy had somehow miraculously returned us, or this had just been a long terrible nightmare.

Then instantly, it ended. Another real dream had vanished. It was over.

Too soon.

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Prayer: God, I have a weird prayer this morning. Please never stop giving us these real dreams. Please help us and anyone else dealing daily with a loss of someone they can never forget. You have the power to make all things new, so keep reminding us that one day, our dreams will again become eternally real. Amen.

P.S. to readers. This post was written in the parking lot of a Starbucks. As I began my morning drive to work, I turned on the radio. The song that was playing? “All I Have to Do is Dream” by the Everly Brothers. Skeptics will say moments like these are simple coincidence. I’ve become convinced they are nothing less than a personal and loving God saying, “I’m here and I’m with you always”.