And what Christians can do about them

Every night I have at least one dream I remember upon waking. Many dreams are vivid in my memory, with details remaining in my thoughts hours after I get out of bed.

Years ago, I recalled a series of dreams with interpretations I felt the Lord had spoken to my heart. I wrote about each of these and included them in a devotional called Leisure Time — Stories to Grow Your Faith*.

I continue to be entertained through my night stories, although I haven’t received any clear revelations about their meanings since that original series.

Most recently, I’ve had a few disturbing dreams that prompted me to go online to find what the “expert” interpretations are.

Dream about bugs in the eye

In this dream, when I pulled down my lower eyelid, I could see several squirming black bugs. They irritated my eye, especially when one would crawl onto the white of my eye.

It still makes me twitch when I think about this dream.

Searching the Internet, I came across many interpretations. However, the most frequent interpretation stated this type of dream may represent thoughts of irritation and anxiety.

Dream about losing shoes

In this dream, I was disappointed not to find my shoes in the pile of footwear outside an office building. I couldn’t find my pair and had to walk around outdoors without my shoes or socks.

A search of the Internet revealed this dream may represent feelings of insecurity and vulnerability.

Dream about breaking my camera

I’ve had this recurring dream in which I planned to take a picture, but my camera was out of film, broken, or I couldn’t find it.

A quick Internet search revealed this dream may signify feelings of pain for the past, fear of loss, and communication issues.

Dream interpretation

All three interpretations resonated with me as my work situation left me irritated, frustrated, and anxious about the future.

It became obvious that my unconscious self revealed the real and daily struggle I had in my conscious world — more specifically, with issues in my work life.

But as a Christian, I do not have to accept these dream interpretations as having the final say. I don’t have to continue to struggle with these feelings. Once I took the time to reflect on these dreams and the potential interpretations, I could deal with the underlying feelings.

What are the best ways to deal with feelings that surface in dreams?

For Christians, we can seek guidance from God through prayer, godly counsel, and reading the Bible.

We can take any stress, anxiety or frustration to God in prayer and ask for His wisdom in dealing with the situation causing these feelings.

We can talk with godly friends or family and ask for their advice and prayers.

We can read the Bible and seek scripture to comfort any negative feelings. One of my favourite verses is Philippians 4:6–7 (NIV).

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

After talking with my spiritual mentor, spending time in prayer, and ruminating on this scripture, I haven’t struggled with the negative feelings and no longer suffer from these disturbing dreams.

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