--As and after Nyk shared this with me, so deep was the impression on my mind. I shared her dream with a friend which commented how this is a pretty powerful parable. True, true!
THE RATTLESNAKE DREAM - Nykelle Pollastro - 9.21.10
I had a most amazing dream early this morning that I know was inspired by God. I have never had an experience like this, and have never had a dream where when I woke up, I knew the interpretations immediately, and felt that it needed to be written down and remembered.
Carson gets up for work at about 4:30 am, and I get up with him to make his lunch/breakfast. I was still extremely tired from the events this weekend, so I decided to go back to sleep for a little bit at about 4:50 am. When I went back to sleep, I had an amazing dream dealing with rattlesnakes…
I was living in my Uncle Paul’s [Mapleton, UT] house before the new additions had been completed, and it was as if it was my personal home. I had put Mia down in her crib for a nap, and had left somewhere to run an errand. When I came back through the back door up on the deck that enters into the kitchen, I noticed the double-wide screen door was wide open. I was nervous, and thought, “How did this happen?” I was also frustrated knowing I was going to have a lot of bugs/animals to deal with in the house. Immediately when I came in and saw two strange animals that looked like a cross between a very small Kangaroo and a deer. I shooed them out. I then tried to close the screen, and noticed that a huge rattlesnake was trying violently to get into my house. I could hear him shaking his rattle and saw his fangs. I tried as hard as I could to keep him out, but the snake was too strong and came into my home. Mia ran up next to me and as I was yelling at her to run away, the snake turned to bite her. I was able to grab the snake right behind its head and stop his fangs from sinking into Mia’s face. He in turn tried to bite me, but I was able to pull back. I remember thinking that it was over and there was no way we could live through this. I was able to grab the snake and toss him outside and shut the screen, but I didn’t lock it. As I continued in the house, I found 4 other rattlesnakes of various sizes inside our home, one which was entering through the small crack in the front screen door from not being locked.
As I was looking for the snakes, I realized that Mia somehow had gotten out of her crib. I found a 2 year old child who told me that they had gotten her out. I was sad to see that a 2 year old had been taking care of my daughter while I was gone. I noticed Mia had some marks on her face from me not being there, either from falling, or scratches from the snakes.
It took several hours to try and get all the snakes out. I called [my husband] at work and desperately begged him to come home immediately to help me get the rattlesnakes out. He was a little irritated that I asked him to come home early, and a little reluctant to do so. As I tried to push the snake at the front door out, he would keep creeping in until I locked the front door.
Finally, I was able to get all 5 snakes out of my house and drown them with water from the hose. After we were pretty sure they were dead, they were collected in bags. My dad came over later that day to witness the snakes, and I specifically showed him the huge snake that I dealt with first. He was amazed at the size of the rattle and the head on that snake.
I woke up promptly at 6 am from this dream, fascinated by what I had just experienced. Immediately when I woke up, I knew the meaning of the dream. I knew that the rattlesnakes were the temptations of Satan and the adversary getting into our home. I knew that because I hadn’t locked the doors before I left, that the snakes were able to get in. I knew that “locking” the doors was a symbol of prayers/scripture study/FHE for our families. And as I thought about how much time we spent trying to get rid of the rattlesnakes, my mind immediately thought of Moroni in the Book of Mormon and the time that he spent trying to solve the disputations/problems among his own people, and because there was so much time spent doing that and not preparing, the Lamanites had full advantage over them when they came.
I felt the extreme importance of having daily scripture study and prayer, and also fhe with our families. That is our “safety lock” on our doors for our homes and our children. Without that, we are leaving the doors unlocked in a sense for the adversary to get in and tempt and destroy our children and our families. We then shouldn’t be surprised if when we have taken a break from spiritual “locking” the door with prayer/fhe/scriptures, that our family/children are beset with temptations/problems/contention. We then have to spend our time trying to “get rid” of the adversary snakes in our home, which is time lost in preparing for future trials and temptations, which is why the snakes kept coming back in to my home… I didn’t have time to “lock the door” because I was trying to get all the other ones out. This teaches me the importance of daily study/prayer/fhe, and that we can never take a spiritual “break,” because once we do, we have just allowed the influence of Satan into our lives, and just like Moroni, we will spend our energy trying to clean up and get rid of the problems, instead of preparing for future battles. I also know that the 2 year old helping Mia represents other influences taking over when mom and dad aren’t there to teach and be the correct influence, or when they are not taking the time to teach their children… the teachings come from some other source that will never be as good. Mia’s scratches/bruises on her face represent the results of the influence of the 2 year old, which shows the destruction that can come from outside influences.
I was shocked that this insight came so clearly and that I understood it so well, and knew the interpretation. I have faith that this was inspired of God, and that now is the time for me to fortify my family against Satan DAILY.
The truths that came with all of Nykki's insights - when times get worse, all the ugly stuff/temptations "Rattlesnakes" will always be lurking outside in the world. They will always be around and even hiding in the bushes of our homes. But if we do not allow them to come in, we can and will enjoy peace and safety inside our homes. Not naive from the dangers that loom outside, but ever confident that our homes are safe harbors and places where fear and terror for the enemy is not present because we (our homes) are fortified with faith in God.
Nykki--thank you for sharing your dream with me! Thank you for being sensitive enough to know that it came from God!
MANTI TEMPLE
On Saturday for the first time in my life I went and did a session at the Manti temple. I don't know if I have had quite an experience like that in the temple. It was WONDERFUL! Not only was everything beauitful and in order--but I could not help but ponder over the fact that this temple was where the Doug and Judy Cloward Family began. My mom and dad were sealed for time and all eternity, making sacred covenants and vows to one another and to God in that holy house. I wish I would have found out what sealing room they were in--next time.
The temple was beautiful inside. The pictures and the things unique to that temple--absolutely breath taking. It was like experiencing the beauty of the SLC temple for the first time. Something about these older temples and the personal sacrifices that went in to building them. The experience was sacred and I could not help but weep. Weep for joy and gratitude for my parents who decided to have the courage and the desire to follow God. Who are still striving to always retain/remember their temple covenants. I am told that marriage even with the right person is a work. But how grateful I am that they are working at it. The experience was very sacred for/to me.
The woman that I went through with, her last ordinances were preformed in 2004! My heart broke over the fact that she had had them started 6 years ago, and now in 2010 she was finally having her work done for an endowment. Oh how much work there is to do. And yet the temptation to be idle, or just self deluded/focus is amazingly great.
How thankful I am for temples of God! How much HE loves us. How much he trusts us!?! (Sometimes it is a little frightening just how much he believes in us.) :)
Jesus is the Christ.
Weekend To DOs:
Discover if I have allowed any Rattlesnakes to come in - GET THEM OUT!
Lock my doors
and the Relief Society BROADCAST!!!!!!!!!!! And then next week is General Conference. Seriously, this and the first weekend in April = MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR!!
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