Keep Me Simple – A God Dream

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

Acts 2:17 NIV

A God Dream

God has spoken to me many times in dreams, but there is one dream that has stuck with me more than any other dream, and that is my dream about blue M&M’s. I know this might sound strange, but God has used blue M&M’s as a reminder of how I am to share Him with others.

This dream was so vivid, I can still re-see it today. Come with me now into this dream. It’s a hot summer day in southeast Texas, and I’m wearing my favorite white floral sundress. I attend the eleven o’clock traditional worship service of the church I grew up in. The sun shines through the stained glass windows a little brighter than usual.

I sit in the second row and for whatever reason, Sam (my husband and pastor of the church) has to leave and asks me to preach. He tells me he left notes on the lecturn and I will do fine. Fear ran through me, just as it would have if I were awake.

Hesitantly, I make my way to the pulpit with my legs shaking, barely able to support me. I dread speaking, knowing my voice will quiver. When I take the last step up into the pulpit, I look out and feel the glare of over two hundred people.

On the lecturn, I find the notes. There before me lie three sheets of solid white paper. One paper has glued on it an array of red, yellow, orange, and brown M&M’s. I look at the second page and it’s filled with all blue M&M’s. The third page too looks like child’s artwork. This page has a picture of Noah’s Ark with a shooting star flying over, created with crayons and various colored pipe cleaners. As I looked at these pages, I cannot imagine what I should preach.

Then Jesus…

Then, I hear someone behind me and I turn to see Jesus sitting on the red cushioned bench. No one else can see Him. He knows my fears and says, “Look at the pages. What do you see?” I respond, “I see a bunch of glued on M&M’s.” He tells me to look closer. “See the page of blue M&M’s? Keep me as simple as blue M&M’s.” I respond, “What?” He continues, “Do not complicate things. Keep me as simple as blue M&M’s. When you teach about me, keep me as simple as blue M&M’s.”

I look at the last page, the picture of Noah’s Ark, and notice the shooting star. This brought to mind a recent trip to the beach we had taken with the church youth group. I had walked on the beach with a high school girl and we were talking about creation. As we stood in the sand listening to the waves crash against the shore and feeling the salty air blow through our hair, a shooting star flew across the entire sky.

He Speaks Through Creation

Jesus tells me to share with the congregation about instances when we encounter God in creation. I speak of how the Almighty reaches down and draws us into His presence. Then, I ask the congregation, “When did you last encounter God and what was it like?”

I turn back to look at Jesus sitting there pleased and ask Him what to say next? He says again, “Keep me simple, keep me as simple as blue M&M’s. Do not make it fancy. Keep to the point.” He continues, looking deep into my eyes, penetrating my soul. He says, “Tell stories of my wonder, teach them how to have a genuine encounter with me. You desire revival, then teach them to find me, seek me, experience me.”

I woke up from this vivid dream. Most of the time I just allow myself to go right back to sleep, but this time I had to get up and write it down. I got out of bed and went and sat in the bathroom. Sitting on the side of the bathtub to not wake up Sam, and I began asking Jesus to reveal more from this dream to me.

Be Aware

I asked God, “Okay I know what you meant by the Noah’s Ark picture, and I know about the simplicity of blue M&M’s, but what about the other page of M&M’s?” Just as clear as I heard Him speak to me in the dream, I closed my eyes and could see Him speak. “Satan will always try to confuse. Remember, I keep me simple. Be aware when something comes across as confusing. Keep everything as simple as blue M&M’s.”

In the early morning quietness, I journaled the dream and headed back to bed. The dream continued. I carry on preaching and I face having to tell the congregation something I know will offend them. Jesus, again right behind me, says, “Offend them in my name.” Along with this, Jesus says, “Come and be with me. Come alone and experience my power. Teach everyone to encounter me.” I wake up.

Keep Me Simple

Disappointed that this incredible dream had concluded, I got up to write the rest of the dream. God revealed this dream to me over twenty years ago, and to this day I am reminded to keep Him as simple as blue M&M’s.

Jesus is much more complicated than blue M&M’s, but when sharing who He is with others, we serve them much better when we keep it simple. So often, we want to keep sharing and we fire hose them with everything we know. When we keep what He has done for us simple, others can let it sink in and ask questions.

This dream has continued to stick with me as I teach my studies. I pray God will help me take the complexity of the scriptures and bring them alive in a way that even the most challenging verses can come to life. To not allow the enemy to confuse things and to speak truth where it needs to be spoken.

What Is Your Calling?

I share this precious moment God gave me to encourage you to think about your calling. Where has God placed you and who does He want you to serve? Are you keeping His message simple? How can you simplify what you do to make your words more effective? I pray each of you seek Him daily and share Him in the beautiful simplicity so we can see revival fire spread beyond our wildest imaginations.

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