Do you have recurring dreams? Maybe you have the school dream. You know, where it's the day of the final and you didn't study? I have that one...but in my version, it's a college exam and I never went to class. (I must admit that one is partially based on truth. U.S. History in 1985 was a killer class for me...and in the dream I keep saying, "I meant to drop that class!!") I have dreams that keep me up at night. Do you?



Recently I've been dreaming that I am on a trip and don't have what I need. I miss the meeting, or the dance, or the speaking opportunity because I am frantically going through my luggage saying, "Where did I put those pants?" I have this dream at least once a week. This week, however, it took a bizarre twist.



In my dream, I was on a trip and had everything I needed. However, Nicole Kidman came in and wanted my room. I quickly, sheepishly packed up all my stuff, no questions asked. After all, she's Oscar-award winning actress, Nicole Kidman. I felt like her staff member, vastly inferior to her. I gave it up without a fight, quickly shoving my items every-which-way to get out of Nicole's way. She didn't give me a second glance, by the way. (And hunkish new husband Keith Urban was sadly no where to be seen.)



When I woke up I was thinking about the dream and about Nicole's impossibly clear complexion. I felt a bit stupid and embarassed that I gave Nicole my room. After all, maybe she was mistaken. Maybe it wasn't actually her room. (Friends will recall that this is how my husband and I met....I was mistakenly sitting in his assigned seat on a plane. Sometimes very bright people just get the numbers mixed up. And oftentimes, God has a sense of humor!) In the light of day, I knew that it was a mistake to give Nicole MY room. It was MY ROOM!



My friend Jenn has a lot of cool dreams and I asked her what she thought this dream meant. She wrote this killer line which I now have posted above my desk. Jenn said:



We have the authority to occupy whatever room God gives us.



Do you believe that's true? And are you occupying the room God gave you? Or are you quickly relinquishing your God-Given Space whenever someone looks cross-eyed at you? (It doesn't have to be the ex-Mrs. Tom Cruise, either. I admit that in the past I've relinquished my rights to just about anyone.)

When you believe that you are who He says you are, you'll stay put. Scripture says, "You have assigned me my portion and my lot." In other words, God has given you your space. For you. To use. To grow. To occupy. Don't give it up, to Nicole Kidman or anyone.

LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
Psalm 16:5-6