The other night I dreamed.  It was a dream for my daughter who had just turned 31, and I sensed the message was for me as well.

In the dream, my daughter's husband came to her and said, "I offer you Nutella Friendship." (Nutella is a deliciously smooth chocolate spread with hazelnut flavoring).  Then I observed my daughter sitting on a bicycle.  She was not pedaling, but rather sitting on the seat balancing perfectly and performing very intricate and specific arm, hand and feet motions.  The motions she executed were beautiful and practiced.  Yet the bicycle remained stationary.  Then I awakened.

In dreams there are some common symbols.  Husbands are often symbolic of Jesus.  I sensed that the Lord was speaking to me and my daughter letting us know that He offers us something really special.  Nutella is sweet and easily spread on almost anything to make it taste good.  The hard, brown hazelnut has already been broken up.  There is no work on our part to get to the sweetness and goodness of the delectable substance.  God has completed the work.  Our job is to look to HIm and "spread" that work on every aspect of our lives.  The color brown, interestingly enough, in the negative represents humanism, and in the positive represents compassion.  Isn't it so like our Lord in His compassion to steer us away from human efforts.

The bicycle in dreams can represent a mode of travel, from getting one place to another in the ministry God has called us to.  In this dream, while my daughter performed many specific and graceful motions, they were "works" that prevented her from going forward--kept her from putting her feet on the pedals and moving.

Continually, the Lord reminds me that it is not my own works (even if they are lovely and practiced) that are enough to move me ahead.  I must receive the jar of Nutella (His grace, favor and blessing), open it and spread the goodness of the substance all over my life. 

Jesus says in Matthes 11:28 (The Message): "Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion? Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."