Does God speak through dreams? I think so.

In April 2018, I had a dream while sleeping one night.

In my dream, I was working in an office. I didn't recognize anyone in the dream. All I know is that all employees in the office were called to line up in front of our employer's office. Our boss wanted to have a personal conversation with each one us about our dreams in life. When it was finally my turn, he called me in and I took a seat before him at his desk.

He smiled and set aside everything he was doing. He then paused, look at me, and asked: "So Jasmine, what is your dream?"

I glanced down at a white poster I was holding in my hands. On the poster, I had drawn the U.S. Department of State's official seal. Next to it was the State Department headquarters address in Washington D.C. next to it.

This indeed was my dream in real life: to work for the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer.

I then started to cry uncontrollably: for one thing, I cried because the dream felt so unattainable. For another, I cried because I felt so moved - moved that this "boss" would care enough to ask me about something that seemed so unrelated to him.

I stared at my poster, not knowing what to say.

With great compassion in his eyes, he said: "Jasmine, do you want to know what makes me cry?"

I blinked through my tears. Could anything make this powerful person cry? I wondered. I started to laugh through my tears, shaking my head. Then he said with a smile:

"Disney movies!"

I was so caught-off-guard by his answer that my tears turned into uncontrollable laughter.

Then I woke up. It was all so very real; in fact, I woke up with tears still in my eyes. I woke up that morning with a great sense of feeling deeply understood and loved.

It was not until a year and a half later that I remembered this dream once more.

It was October 2019. I had just received my official Foreign Service Exam results from the U.S. State Department: I had missed the passing score by 2 points. My dreams of becoming a Foreign Service Officer seemed to be far from my reach.

I was crushed: I had studied, prepared, and even enrolled in a Masters Program to adequately prepare me for this field.

Why did God allow this to happen?

Then I remembered the scene from my dream in 2018: While holding the poster of the State Department seal in my hands, I felt completely defeated. This was a perfect picture of what I experienced that fateful day when I received my exam results in October. I felt so, so small next to this big dream of mine.

But then I remembered the great compassion demonstrated to me by my "boss" in the dream. He didn't say a single word to me about my lofty goals. Yet, his loving presence said it all. I knew in my dream I was going to be okay. I knew that I was deeply cared for by someone who was powerful enough to work out all things out for my good.

Was the boss in my dream God?

It's actually quite funny: in my personal collection of mugs, I have one given to me by a friend that says: "God is my boss."

I look back at 2019: there were a lot of dreams that didn't come to pass. In fact, some of my worst fears came true, like finding out I didn't pass the Foreign Service Exam.

But I know that in the midst of some painful detours, there was Somebody Powerful yet completely Gentle - a Guiding Presence leading me and even choosing to comfort me in my pain. I know this was God's Presence. Only He could lift me up and give me hope like that in the midst of feeling completely broken. There was nothing more comforting or refreshing than that.

Maybe God has used a dream to speak to you in the past. Maybe it's a dream you can't ever forget. Keep it close to your heart. It's a special gift from God - a reminder that He speaks to people in beautiful, unconventional ways.

Joel 2:28

"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."