The Oddest Knock That You’ll Never Regret Answering

I had a dream last night and it was the best kind. A symbolic dream from the heart of my Heavenly Father, and He didn’t leave me guessing long what its application was to be in this life.

In the dream, my husband and I and our family were in the market for a home. We were driving around this city, and I was looking for big, beautiful, perfect-looking homes with for sale signs in the front yard. I thought my husband was looking for the same.

We pulled into a cul-de-sac. I told him he had turned one road too soon. There were no for-sale signs here. But he got out of the car, kids in tow, and knocked on the door- so I followed.

He said to the man who answered the door, “We are looking for a home to buy and live in. Budget isn’t an issue. We just want a place that feels like home. Could we come in and look at yours?”

I remember thinking it strange that the man would accept such a funny self-invitation and open the door to us. Why didn’t he give us a bewildered look and close it in our faces? After all- there wasn’t even a for sale sign in the yard.

But he did accept it. He opened the door to us.

He introduced us to his family and let them know we were looking for a home, and that while they hadn’t planned to sell theirs- we had made an offer that was irresistible (budget not being an issue) and so they were going to invite us in to see if their home would fit the bill for us.

The next part I remember finding equally as funny/shocking. (Such things happen in dreams all the time, because they’re dreams- but in this dream I didn’t know I was dreaming and so the emotions were all pretty real.)

So I was walking all around this house, doing what most prospective home-purchasers do: evaluating.

Judging, what was good and what was not, what we’d have to change and what, if any, features were charming and desirable to stay.

And this home was a MESS.

Clearly loved,

clearly taken care of the best the family could-

but a mess

compared with what I had expected- especially for a budget like we were bringing to the table.

(Mind you- in real life- our budget is anything but unlimited, so there’s symbolism here that God showed me later, that goes beyond this illustration.)

On the outside, it was in a great neighborhood.

On the outside, it was polished and more perfect-looking, though not actually perfect-

unpretentious and inexplicably charming in a way I couldn’t put my finger on.

But on the inside: a structural mess like nobody would have guessed, which makes it even more of a wonder that they let us in to begin with.

Sagging ceilings.

Layers of paint chipping severely off the walls.

Stairs that were crooked.

Clearly foundation issues.

And – the most bizarre of things— a toilet right inside the front door…

I had already decided from the moment I saw the first two of those issues, the toilet and the ceilings, that this place was not for us. I could not see myself making a home here.

But my husband? Where had he ventured off to? He and my boys were playing video games with the kid that lived there. Up the crooked stairs. Past the badly chipping paint. I could hear them laughing through the sagging ceilings. (Sagging so badly I was almost fearful for their safety, that they could fall through at any moment.)

I called to him that we needed to leave. I tried to politely excuse ourselves. I knew that he knew what I was insinuating (that this wasn’t the place for us, wasn’t what we were looking for), but he was pre-occupied. He stopped to have conversation with the man, the dad, who lived there. And the mom too. About their life, their story, about themselves, and finally about the condition of the inside of the house- though not in a judgmental kind of way, or a way that would indicate that the house was worth any less to us (or that they’d receive any less compensation, should we be invited to move in, which at this point I had deemed out of the question, with how much renovation it would entail, and I was incredulous that my husband was still “entertaining” the idea. Was he just being polite? Had he lost his mind? This was not the place for us. It was SO much work. Unsafe even.)

Finally I had gathered my children and gave cordial goodbyes to the family we had met. While I didn’t want to move in, I also genuinely appreciated their authenticity and openness to not only welcome us inside, but to go on about normal life while we were in their home, as if it wasn’t bizarre at all that a stranger had come to examine their dwelling and see if perhaps it was worth making an offer on.

As I prepared to part it was as if I could hear their inmost heart-thoughts:

“If anyone is silly enough to make an offer on this falling-down structure, then we surely ought to take it. Though I’m not exactly sure where we’d go. We’ve been so underwater for awhile with this place, that we have never considered having the opportunity to fix it or to find a home that’s more pleasant to live in.”

“There was no time to prepare it or cover up any of the damage, but a far-fetched shot is better than none at all. And besides, the buyers look like a nice enough family. They should know what they’re getting into.”

“I wonder why they stopped here anyhow. Even on the outside our house isn’t the most spectacular one in the neighborhood, and it wasn’t even listed for sale. They surely had no idea what a mess they’d find inside. They’ll certainly high-tail it out of here, never to be seen again.”

(Which is what I distinctly remember wanting to do, in my dream.)

But as we buckled in our babies, and shut the car doors, my husband said the most shocking thing of the day- of our lives, even:

“That’s the one! Let’s move in. With them.

It’ll take a lot of work but we can do it together.

Let’s give them over market price for their home, but I want them to stay too.”

Say what?!?

Oh was I protesting inside. And so bewildered. I didn’t get it AT ALL. I thought he had lost his mind. I nearly choked on the words that were getting ready to come out of my mouth…

And then… I woke up.

And it wasn’t even mysterious what the dream had been about. He didn’t leave me guessing at all, He went right into explaining it:

—————

He said to me:

I am your heavenly husband. (I often relate to Jesus this way, because my marriage is the closest relationship which resembles how Jesus feels about us, His people, individually…the Bible tells us such.)

I don’t go looking for “perfect” homes (places for me to live, abide in.) I already have the perfect home, in heaven.

I don’t only consider the ones which are listed for sale. (The people actively looking for me. Sometimes, often, I go looking for, considering them, even when they’ve never heard of me or thought of inviting me in at all.)

I don’t think about resources the way you do. I don’t need the “most bang for my buck” – I MAKE the “bang”. (I speak and things happen.) I have ALL the bucks. (I have unlimited resources. Everything under Heaven and Earth is mine.)

I am not looking for people to add value to me, I am looking for people who can see the value I can add to them- and who are willing to invite me in!

Maybe at first people invite me in, for the hope of what I can do for them, physically. But once we have visited they find me so strangely refreshing, different from the world, that they want me to stay. They want to get to know me because I’m unlike anyone they’ve ever met before.

I don’t care about what the world cares about.

I don’t focus on what society focuses on.

I am not concerned with the building you live in,

your status in society,

or even the “building” of your body

and whether it appears to be in good shape (worthy of purchasing/living in)

to anyone else

or not.

What I care about- is you.

The REAL you.

The spirit you.

You are a spirit,

that lives in a body,

and has a soul (mind, will, and emotions.)

When I’m knocking on doors,

I’m not primarily looking for a place to live-

for my benefit-

remember, I have that in heaven.

My ways are not like your ways.

My thoughts are not like your thoughts.

I’m looking for people who will see the value in me, and invite me in – openly-

to their real dwellings.

Their selves.

And I don’t merely want to purchase them,

possess them.

Take over their homes and kick them out.

(The enemy does that. But that’s not the focus of the day.)

I want to knock on their door and make them an offer that seems absurd to the world.

To pay it all, handle it all, help with it all, deal with it all- with them!

I want to ABIDE with them.

I want to DO LIFE with them.

I want to them to get to know me,

let me get to know them.

Authentically and Intimately.

I want to make my home with them.

And then- when we are functioning as a family, I want to go to work with them, repairing the house together. Not just doing it for them always (even though I could), but doing it with them because I enjoy spending every bit of time together, and I enjoy teaching and imparting my wisdom, and I enjoy watching the learning and growth process in them and watching them “get it” and find joy as they do.

Project by project.

Room by room.

I will work on their house (body) and with them (their spirit.)

This is sanctification.

I- Salvation- entered in, the moment they opened the door.

Sanctification-

Being “fixed up”-

that is a lifelong process

and we do it together,

with me in the lead.

You are my creation.

This is what I have chosen for my life’s work.

Saving you and fixing you up- for your benefit!

I am different than people.

I already have it all, so I am able to go into things out of pure love – unconditionally- wanting what’s in it for you.

And the very best thing that’s in it for you,

beyond any financial thing,

or any physical thing,

or any thing that the world could offer-

is ME.

My unconditional love and fellowship.

My company.

Doing life with me.

It may seem absurd really, when you think about it, the creator and king of the universe wanting to move into YOUR home, YOUR heart, WITH you.

Why would I want to?

Because I see you and I love you.

I already know you before you know me.

And I’ve been waiting patiently to approach you, I’ve been anticipating you opening the door to me!

I see behind the surface,

and beyond the mess that’s past the surface.

I knew just what awaited behind that door before I even knocked.

Nothing is a surprise to me.

And nothing is too much for me,

too big of a mess for me to handle.

But before we work on any messes together,

I just want to come in.

I just want to talk to you.

I just want to meet you where you are and do life with you.

Not AFTER the projects and once you feel more perfect.

NOW.

You are spirit.

Your physical improvements can wait a moment, and we can work on those together.

And I need you to see that.

And now I’m knocking.

I’m here for YOU, right now.

Can we just chat?

Can you open up the door and let me in,

can we visit?

Can you get to know me enough to know that I come for the REAL you?

That I don’t need the house – your physical self or your physical house, to be straightened up and pretty before we talk…?

I don’t want to just be a visitor you straighten up for, before our visits each day. I want to be an occupant. Who does life together with you, and who straightens up with you too. I want to be your family.

All this is going to pass away anyway…

Your physical house will one day be gone.

Along with the whole earth.

Your physical body will pass away too.

But YOU- the real you- your spirit-

it will live forever.

Either with me, or away from me.

And I don’t wait for the end of your life,

to begin our living together.

(And it doesn’t work that way anyway. You have to accept me now, in this world, in order for me to take you into my world in eternity. I’ve already chosen you but you have to choose me too.)

I’m here-

Knocking-

NOW!

I want to be part of your life and your family,

I want to help provide for you and secure you and take the loads of this earthly life on with you- NOW.

Will you open up?

Will you accept my “bizarre” self-invitation?

Will you share this with others, so it becomes a more normal concept, and they’ll be more likely to let me in when I come to them?

———

This dream was so rich I’m still opening it up layer by layer.

I’ve already let Him into my life.

Opened the door to my messy abode and welcomed Him in.

I’ve already come to know and love Him and I’m able to testify that He truly is like no other!

So before I sit down and talk to him about what the rest of the dream means, for me, I couldn’t wait to share His invitation with you.

You don’t have to believe you’re worthy.

NONE of us are, actually.

Imperfect and messy and all-

Trying to this point, or not-

I pray that you’ll lay it all aside in this moment.

And start a wonderfully authentic life with Him.

And I’ll be there too- in the way that I can be.

The Church will. (The people.)

That’s what fellowship is.

That was the most shocking part of the dream to me, really.

He moves the whole family right on in!

And in a day where it’s so much easier –

and so tempting-

to “just do us”,

separate,

life on our own terms-

it’s challenging to think about that.

About lovingly dealing with others’ messes, with Him,

not in a judgmental way,

but in a way that comes alongside,

cares more about others than self,

is willing to not only go through the process in our own homes which is difficult enough, but is also willing to help with cleanup in the bigger house-the bigger family- too.

That used to seem so intimidating.

But wow- in His presence it seems exciting.

Getting in on more of it.

Seeing-

FEELING-

just how ridiculous His love is for us,

how infinite!

It’s breath-taking, really.

Mind-boggling.

———

Revelation 3:20-

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

John 14:23-

“Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and my Father and I will come to them and live with them.”