Andy

Thank you Mia for your insight and knowlege. It has helped so much! I will pray specifically to be given the timing, God willing. I actually did not even think to do so! Thank you for your prayers too I am very grateful for them.

Andy

Thank you Mia!

I have hope. I will wait for what lies ahead and when it is finally revealed, it will be my pleasure to share it here with you. If I may, one last question. In this case, do you think that the number no less than four/no more than seven may be relevant? I think I read you had mentioned once that numbers always mean a unit of time in dreams? Please correct me if I don't have it quite right. If so, I wondered how can you tell if a unit of time will be say, weeks, months or years? How would you discern this?

Blessings!

Andy

I felt overcome in the sense that it seemed far too great a thing for me to be presented with. I felt unworthy to be handed such a gift, it seemed far above me and what I deserve.

I was terrified to reach out and touch it. I thought, it can't be! It can't be...disbelief as in is it true? Is it real? At the same moment my heart was pounding out of my chest in disbelief that it WAS indeed intended for me and that God had done such a thing for me- he himself forged the keys. I did not believe he could love me like that. I didn't see it coming at all...there was indescribable relief and joy...it was beyond expectation or what I could ever, ever have thought possible. It was like if someone presented you with something you could not put a price on for the value it had for you and they held it out to you to take, like it was made for you.

Mia Sherwood wrote:

Andy,

This is not a prophetic interpretation but one from my understanding.

The river is the world.... full of dark nasty water. The bubble around the fish are Christians living in the spirit. God taking them and handing them to you seems extremely symbolic of giving you the ministry of shepherd over these fish.

Are you a pastor now?

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Hello Mia,

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post! I appreciate it. I am still in the process of seeking, praying and waiting for guidance from the Lord to understand. It is encouraging to share with fellow believers who have experience with such matters. I do not have many people to approach with this in my life who even believe the Lord chooses to communicate in such ways to us.

As for me, I am nothing even remotely close to a pastor. I am a lay woman and believer. That is all. Actually, I have not attended church in well over a year or more since we had to sell our car. Our church is far from us and without a vehicle we can't get there.

In terms of shepharding, I have not been involved at church in sometime for circumstantial reasons. Even when I was attending, I was not integrated enough to have charge over people or to shephard them in any way. If this is the future, and if this is a possible message, I am open, but to be honest I don't see how it fits given my current context or my past history. All I can think of, is that I have always been told by others that I would make an excellent teacher? If this is a possible way to view it, then maybe it means not "shepharding" in a literal, pastoral sense, but more of mentor/teacher?

It may help if I provide the context of my prayer/circumstance in which the vision came?

I was alone in my room crying out to God for an intervention- for change in our lives. These are the circumstances under which I am praying:

I have been married to a good Christian man for 15+ years. However...I am turning forty in a few months. We have no children. Financially it is not a choice we can freely make. We live like young broke students not adults. We live together in the same under 500 sq. ft rental apartement we moved into when we were married in our early 20s. I am unable to finish my degree. My husband is continually passed over for promotions he has earned. It is always circumstantial. This has gone on for ten years. Even his managers are powerless. We have no car. We live paycheck by paycheck. It drains our strength. We have creditors at our doorstep. We feel bound and chained, like prisoners in our own lives. We have tried to create opportunity time and again but only to have it never open to us. These are doors we cannot open no matter what effort we apply. We know we cannot go forward at this point unless God himself intervenes. God has sustained us in the day to day, always. It's just now, I am feeling a sense of urgencey about our circumstances. I have been praying the same prayers for years...but I cried out to God for help the other night. Unexpectedly, he answered- something. I just do not know what any of it means yet.

As I was praying, I did not mention in my last post that I heard a voice in my head that said, "I have something to say to you." It was clear and distinct. I pushed it aside. I thought my mind was being unruly and disruptive. It alarmed me too because I thought, great. Now I'm hearing voices too?? So I pretended it didn't happen. It wasn't long after that the vision came.

TROUBLE OVER SYMBOLS?

In terms of "keys", as far I have found the bible has no reference to people figuratively as keys? Fish yes, but not keys. I could be wrong. But, that is why for me interpreting the fish as people was not an exact fit. Fish as keys made it difficult for me to get that from it. Especially in terms of how it fits into my life.

These fish moved past me in a river I knew were full of fish but just could not see because it was so murky. But these fish were distinct. I saw them for a fleeting moment as they swam past me with light and clarity around them. They swam and God himself fetched them out of the water further down the river. But, he changed them too. They were keys. Full scale- large like the size of real salmon on a giant key ring. They were changed, and appeared more like shining metallic ornaments. They were polished. They had a bright metallic surface. They were not alive. However, the bright rainbow colors on their surfaces moved and rippled in a wavelike fashion. I thought of them as rainbow keys in the shape of fish.

What I have taken from it is perhaps, the Lord being further down the river from me means he is ahead of me preparing? I saw him, but could only make out his outline. So he was far enough away to see albeit not distinctly. So he was still further down ahead.

I thought maybe that means what he is preparing ahead of me is near, but not immediate. It was still observing the murky river, when unexpectedly out of nowhere, I was handed this large ornate keyring with rainbow fish shaped keys. I was absolutely shocked and speechless to be handed such a thing. I only saw his hands stretched out giving it to me. I was overwhelmed with such emotion I couldn't even concentrate on the number of keys, which was no less than four and no more than seven in number. Despite all of these emotions surrounding it, I have still no clear message as to what they keyring/keys symbolize that I was reacting so strongly to them?

I thought the river could be my life/troubles. Rapidly passing by me. Knowing it is filled with opportunities that exist in it all around but they are unclear to me. I cannot see them. I just know they exist and are there.

Not sure if it relates, but God has provided me with specific dreams before I was married and only a small few since which I believe were meant to provide hope to me for the future. Many of these dreams are over fifteen years old. Some are more recent within the last three years. I have clung to them in desperate times with hope that God was providing encouragement to me. Yet, none of it has come to pass. Just a thought?

[b] RAINBOW FISH KEYS ON KEYRING?

In this vision, I was looking underwater in a murky muddy brown river. I could sense there were abundant fish in it, swimming upstream. But, I could only clearly make out the fish that passed by me which were highlighted by a light surrounded in a bubble of clear water. They looked like salmon.

The ones that were surrounded by the light/clear water, were being fetched up by God further down the river. I could not see him do it very clearly because he was a bit further down the river than I was. Still, I could faintly see a figure fetching up the fish surrounded by the light and clear water.

Then, right before my eyes I am handed a large key ring with the salmon on it as keys!

The fish were changed. They were smooth like a metallic surface and had beautiful rippling rainbow skin. I was startled and surprised! I felt shock and was overwhelmed with emotions, so didn't entirely pay full attention to the number of fish keys.

I do know it was between 4-6 rainbow fish keys. I think it was more like 3 and 3 together? I wish I could remember exactly. It was not less than four and no more than seven, that I know for sure.

I received this while praying but do not understand. I know God is referred to as the "fisher of men", but I don't see how that fits into this scenario? As for rainbow/s, I know biblically that a rainbow is a symbolic of God's promise to never again flood the entire earth. I don't see how the rainbow in that context fits either. I know I am missing it.

I really want to understand what the Lord is communicating and do not want to miss out. I need help if anyone out there has insight it would be very much appreciated.

I have had lucid dreams of prophetic nature throughout my lifetime even as a child, although only a couple occured in my infancy. Since I became a Christian over fifteen years ago, I have come to understand that Jesus on occasion will choose to communicate a message through a dream. Fortunately, your site has helped me sort out some of the dreams that I had nearly missed the meaning of due to my ignorance and misunderstanding. Still, there are some symbols so unique to my experience it is too difficult to look them up and find a meaning that fits, naturally. That is why I decided to write in hope you may have some experience with similar symbols so as better to help me with my more distressing themes.

For instance, I have a recurring dream of pregnancy. This dream is perplexing. In the natural, neither my husband or I desire to be pregnant or are trying to have children. We have been married twelve years. I am thirty-six.

One time, a well respected Christian I once worked with called to tell me he dreamt I was pregnant and that he believed God gave him that dream. Well, I believed he thought it may be literal and he may be imparting good news to us. Ultimately, he said it was for me to understand because he did not and God did not give him the meaning. Yet, I know it is meant to be symbolic.

This pregnancy dream is a theme I have had over decades- even once when I was a very little girl. The context and vantage point sometimes changes. For instance, once I dreamt on a routine vistit for a check-up my physician told me I was pregnant- I was morfified. When I was a child and had this dream it frightened me then as well.

My most recent dream of this nature showed me to be very early on, only a few months or so in and just starting to show a baby bump. In this dream, I met my husband (unpregnant) and said to him we should get married and make a baby together. This was strange. When I met my husband we discussed getting married and decided on it but we never discussed having children, although we talked of building a future.

All this to say, I have had this "pregnancy" theme recur to me spanning decades. In my days at bible college in the late nineties, the Lord referred to me as a "mother" and as a woman in labor experiencing labor pains. This was through my private journals with the Lord at that time. I have experienced my own share of setbacks and dissapointments in life. Ultimately, my own uncertainites led me to leave bible college- but not the Lord or my faith.

Next only to dreams of tornados and the deep ocean abyss, pregnancy is the single most long running recurring dream I have had. Sadly, still after all of this time I am unsure about what the Lord is trying to say to me.

Currently I work retail make-up and free-lance as a make-up artist. My life is not conducive to formal ministry of any sort as I did not complete my credentials. Financially, my husband and myself- of all the people I know are very deeply troubled and have experienced great humiliation and hardship that has been unending. It has been this way for us our entire marriage. We still live in the same rental apartment we moved into as newly weds unable to start our lives. It is not much larger than a bachelor. Most people I know who are younger are on their second homes and starting families. This is not necessarily the path we desire for ourselves, but shows to some measure why this dream is troubling. I makes no sense in the context of my life experiences. I do not know how it is to live apart from surviving and stuggling. Even as a child in the decadent 80s I lived in abject poverty in a trailerpark my situation stood out then as well. I am unsure what God wants me to take away from the dreams? I am unsure what to hope for?

I would like to know if you have encounted other similar dreams of pregnancy spanning such long periods of time. Most christian interpretations involve born babies or are literal baby prophecies. This is not the case for me.

There are other symbols I had encountered but have not yet been listed on your site which I would like to know if you have any perspective on.

For instance "gallows". I dreamt my father hung himself in his home from a rafter, which looked like a narrow church belfry (i could only see his feet when I looked up). It was unsual dream for me since I had never before dreamt that someone committed suicide and no less by hanging. I wondered what your experience is with this sort of symbolism?

Also, "sharks" in a large deep dark abyss. It is a recurring and distressing theme for me almost as much as the tornado dreams which I have been plagued with all my life. Although you had it listed there, the sharks in my dreams are not due to a bloating problem. They are threatening and deadly and in my dreams they are great white sharks which lurk in a bottomless large black abyss of water. They are terrifying. Sometimes I dream of just the large black abyss of water which in itself is very terrifying. Sometimes I see the sharks other times I only have to assume they (or worse) exist in the depths. Sometimes I can see the parameters of the body of water sometimes I know it is the ocean. Either way it is always a very enormous body of water.

Recently, I had a dream that I could see to the bottom of a relatively large body of water for the first time. It was actually crystal clear all the way to the bottom. Although, it was more like a 50ft. reef. There was only a small black reef shark there. Still, I was vary wary and did not dive to investigate even those depths.

Always, I long to dive and to investigate the abyss. Due to extreme fear I stand at the edge stare at the blackness from the banks. I want so much to be free, to dive but the great abyss is too terrifying.

Only one time I dreamt of sharks in a way in which I was not frightened. I was wading knee deep in the shallows of an ocean beach and sharks were nipping at my ankles but they had no teeth so I was not afraid. However, at least since bible college and as of late, it is the abyss dreams that have been the dominant theme. Again, I wonder if you can offer insight based on your experiences as to what the abyss is? What these sharks are? I don't know why but like the pregnancy dream I am unable to see the meaning clearly myself.

"Salamander". I once dreamt I watched my generic husband (I was a teen when I dreamt it) and son (i am childless) playing in a large pool in our backyard. I was remember beign so elated and happy watching them. Then I was alarmed to see a very large black salamander underwater clinging to the sidewall of the pool near to them. I saw it as a threat. I never understood the salamander. It was nearly twenty years ago and the symbol troubles me because I don't understand. It was the only time I dreamt of a salamander.

Firstly, thank you for providing Christians with a biblically grounded and responsible resource online to help in our understanding of dreams and interpretation. It is discouraging to encounter so much false information on the web regarding this subject matter.

I have had lucid dreams of prophetic nature throughout my lifetime even as a child, although only a couple occured in my infancy. Since I became a Christian over fifteen years ago, I have come to understand that Jesus on occasion will choose to communicate a message through a dream. Fortunately, your site has helped me sort out some of the dreams that I had nearly missed the meaning of due to my ignorance and misunderstanding. Still, there are some symbols so unique to my experience it is too difficult to look them up and find a meaning that fits, naturally. That is why I decided to write in hope you may have some experience with similar symbols so as better to help me with my more distressing themes.

For instance, I have a recurring dream of pregnancy. This dream is perplexing. In the natural, neither my husband or I desire to be pregnant or are trying to have children. We have been married twelve years. I am thirty-six.

One time, a well respected Christian I once worked with called to tell me he dreamt I was pregnant and that he believed God gave him that dream. Well, I believed he thought it may be literal and he may be imparting good news to us. Ultimately, he said it was for me to understand because he did not and God did not give him the meaning. Yet, I know it is meant to be symbolic.

This pregnancy dream is a theme I have had over decades- even once when I was a very little girl. The context and vantage point sometimes changes. For instance, once I dreamt on a routine vistit for a check-up my physician told me I was pregnant- I was morfified. When I was a child and had this dream it frightened me then as well.

My most recent dream of this nature showed me to be very early on, only a few months or so in and just starting to show a baby bump. In this dream, I met my husband (unpregnant) and said to him we should get married and make a baby together. This was strange. When I met my husband we discussed getting married and decided on it but we never discussed having children, although we talked of building a future.

All this to say, I have had this "pregnancy" theme recur to me spanning decades. In my days at bible college in the late nineties, the Lord referred to me as a "mother" and as a woman in labor experiencing labor pains. This was through my private journals with the Lord at that time. I have experienced my own share of setbacks and dissapointments in life. Ultimately, my own uncertainites led me to leave bible college- but not the Lord or my faith.

Next only to dreams of tornados and the deep ocean abyss, pregnancy is the single most long running recurring dream I have had. Sadly, still after all of this time I am unsure about what the Lord is trying to say to me.

Currently I work retail make-up and free-lance as a make-up artist. My life is not conducive to formal ministry of any sort as I did not complete my credentials. Financially, my husband and myself- of all the people I know are very deeply troubled and have experienced great humiliation and hardship that has been unending. It has been this way for us our entire marriage. We still live in the same rental apartment we moved into as newly weds unable to start our lives. It is not much larger than a bachelor. Most people I know who are younger are on their second homes and starting families. This is not necessarily the path we desire for ourselves, but shows to some measure why this dream is troubling. I makes no sense in the context of my life experiences. I do not know how it is to live apart from surviving and stuggling. Even as a child in the decadent 80s I lived in abject poverty in a trailerpark my situation stood out then as well. I am unsure what God wants me to take away from the dreams? I am unsure what to hope for?

I would like to know if you have encounted other similar dreams of pregnancy spanning such long periods of time. Most christian interpretations involve born babies or are literal baby prophecies. This is not the case for me.

There are other symbols I had encountered but have not yet been listed on your site which I would like to know if you have any perspective on.

For instance "gallows". I dreamt my father hung himself in his home from a rafter, which looked like a narrow church belfry (i could only see his feet when I looked up). It was unsual dream for me since I had never before dreamt that someone committed suicide and no less by hanging. I wondered what your experience is with this sort of symbolism?

Also, "sharks" in a large deep dark abyss. It is a recurring and distressing theme for me almost as much as the tornado dreams which I have been plagued with all my life. Although you had it listed there, the sharks in my dreams are not due to a bloating problem. They are threatening and deadly and in my dreams they are great white sharks which lurk in a bottomless large black abyss of water. They are terrifying. Sometimes I dream of just the large black abyss of water which in itself is very terrifying. Sometimes I see the sharks other times I only have to assume they (or worse) exist in the depths. Sometimes I can see the parameters of the body of water sometimes I know it is the ocean. Either way it is always a very enormous body of water.

Recently, I had a dream that I could see to the bottom of a relatively large body of water for the first time. It was actually crystal clear all the way to the bottom. Although, it was more like a 50ft. reef. There was only a small black reef shark there. Still, I was vary wary and did not dive to investigate even those depths.

Always, I long to dive and to investigate the abyss. Due to extreme fear I stand at the edge stare at the blackness from the banks. I want so much to be free, to dive but the great abyss is too terrifying.

Only one time I dreamt of sharks in a way in which I was not frightened. I was wading knee deep in the shallows of an ocean beach and sharks were nipping at my ankles but they had no teeth so I was not afraid. However, at least since bible college and as of late, it is the abyss dreams that have been the dominant theme. Again, I wonder if you can offer insight based on your experiences as to what the abyss is? What these sharks are? I don't know why but like the pregnancy dream I am unable to see the meaning clearly myself.

"Salamander". I once dreamt I watched my generic husband (I was a teen when I dreamt it) and son (i am childless) playing in a large pool in our backyard. I was remember beign so elated and happy watching them. Then I was alarmed to see a very large black salamander underwater clinging to the sidewall of the pool near to them. I saw it as a threat. I never understood the salamander. It was nearly twenty years ago and the symbol troubles me because I don't understand. It was the only time I dreamt of a salamander.