Dream Stacking by Debra Guthrie

Matthew 9:29b   “According to your faith be it unto you.”   Jesus, what would you like to say to me?

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My dearest child, You are my darling!

Look not to the things which are seen,

                but to the things which are not seen.

Do not look

                to calendars,

                abilities,

                and “favorable” circumstances.

Do not look

                at the little bit of oil

                in your pitcher.

Bring all your jars of dreams—

                as many jars

                as you can find.

Borrow from your neighbors.

Fill your house

                with vessels

                stacked upon vessels

                on the tables and chairs and floor—

                every surface covered to overflowing.

Stack them high—

                high to the ceiling—

                to the point

                you feel

                you can hardly

                move about.

Then, close the door

                and pull down the shades.

And in the privacy

                of just you and me,

Lift up your pitcher to heaven

                and bless it,

And then begin

                to pour out the oil

                into the first empty vessel

                until it is filled

                to the brim

                with the oil

                of your dreams

                infused with my Spirit.

When the first empty vessel is filled,

                set it to one side

                and take the second empty vessel

                and begin to pour into it.

Fill it to the brim

                with more impossible dreams—

                dreams that seem too big,

                too difficult,

                require too much time

                (years beyond a lifetime!),

                and more strength,

                courage,

                and resources

                than you could ever

                muster up.

Watch them mix

                and flow out

                with the oil

                of my Holy Spirit anointing.

Watch them fill

                the once empty vessel

                with miraculous life

                and power.

And when it fills to the brim

                and just can’t possibly hold any more, Set it to the side

                and take a third empty vessel

                and begin filling it

                in like manner.

You will fill vessels for yourself,

                vessels to sell to relieve debts,

                vessels to donate to the poor,

                vessels to give away to guests,

                vessels to send with travelers in far countries,

                vessels to pour out upon my altar,

                and vessels to save for future generations.

Dreams you will live in your lifetime,

                dreams that will fill the heart,

                feed the hungry,

                and supply the needs of the poor.

Dreams that will nurture guests.

Dreams that others will take

                to foreign countries.

And then dreams

                that will extend

                beyond your lifetime

                to generations to come.

And my Holy Spirit anointing

                will be infused

                into every drop!

Never look

                at the small flask of oil

                in your hand,

                or the needs around you.

Look to heaven

                and recover sight.

Gather all the dreams

                you can find,

And in our private time together

                we will fill all those dreams

                with the oil

                of my unending power,

                creative ability,

                and provision.

Faith is the substance

                of dreams hoped for,

The vessel containers gathered,

                ready,

                and waiting

                for the promised oil

                to come.

Do not be weary in well-doing.

Do not grow tired

                in gathering empty vessels.

Do not worry

                that the dreams

                are stacking so high

                that you feel

                as though

                you can barely move.

Do not let naysayers

                into the room

                to watch

                and denigrate

                what you are doing.

Simply come away with me,

                follow my instructions,

                and pour.

Watch the filling of the vessels

                from one small,

                seemingly insignificant

                pitcher.

And rejoice,

                because I am holding you.

Nothing in my hands

                is insignificant

                or limited.

I have told you:

                You are a dreamer.

Teach my children to dream—

                to dream at every age,

                in every circumstance.

Teach them to dream

                and give dreams away.

Teach them to sell

                all they have

                to obtain

                my Spirit-infused dreams

                for their lives.

Teach them

                to stack up the jars

                from their families and neighbors

And fill them with dreams—

                enough for every day of their lives

                and the lives of their children

                and their children’s children.

According to the vessels you gather—

                according to your faith—

                be it unto you.

Stretch as far as you can,

                and then stretch

                past the seen

                into the unseen

                and beyond.

You can never outpour

                my provision

Or out-faith

                my promises.

I will always smile at you

                and ask,

“Do you have another empty jar?

                Look again.

                Keep looking.

There is still more!!!”

I love you, my Dreamer!

Your own,

Jesus Christ