In our readings today, Jacob has a dream where he not only experienced the comfort and assurance of the Lord’s presence in his life, but the Lord also affirmed his plans and promised to protect him. Can that happen to us? I believe it can. I am among those persons of faith who believe in special dreams as messages from God. Not all dreams, of course can be discerned as messages from God, but I consider that if I place my trust in God, I can often dream my way out of times of confusion and uncertainty in my life toward a sense of confidence and assurance that I am on the right track. Psychologists say dreams are just a process of the mind sorting things out and the dominant messages in our dreams are just affirmations of our deepest thoughts. That scientific understanding does not need to conflict with our faith.
I believe that if we persons of faith place our trust in God, we can sense times, waking and sleeping, when God acknowledges our distress and provides protection and guidance in our decision making and actions. That is because the minds of people of faith are oriented toward trust in God. And we can trust that like Jacob, God says also to us, “know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go.” In addition to praying for guidance and clarity, try praying “In you, my God, I place my trust,” each night before sleep. I pray it produces pleasant dreams.
Barbara Dilly
I came to Creighton in 2000 and retired in 2020. My twenty years of teaching, research and service in the Jesuit tradition enhanced my own life. It was an exciting time of celebration. I loved teaching and interacting with Creighton students because they responded so eagerly to the Ignatian pedagogical emphasis on the development of the whole person. It is this spirit of whole person development and celebration of life that I hope to infuse in my reflection writings.
My academic background is eclectic, preparing me well for the Liberal Arts academic environment at Creighton. I earned my BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA in 1988 and my Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures from the University of California, Irvine in 1994. My research focused on rural communities in the American Midwest, Latin America, and Australia. I taught Environmental Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods, Social and Cultural Theory, and Food Studies courses.
I retired to Shell Rock, a small rural community in Northeast Iowa where I enjoy gardening, cooking, quilting, driving my 65 Impala convertible an my 49 Willys Jeepster. I have lots of fun playing my guitars with friends from the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. But most importantly, I am still working to make my community and rural America a better place. I host a community quilt studio and serve on the Mission Board of my church. I also serve as the Climate Committee Chair and on the Executive Board of the Center for Rural Affairs.