powerful praise

i awoke with a powerful, passionate presence of God in my room last night... 

my dream was of a bus with lots of people in it and we were traveling across desert land.  the bus had open sides with bars to hang onto.  it reminded me of the diesel cameo trucks we would travel in this summer when i was at missionary school in Africa.

i was swinging on the bars half dancing, half laughing, half out of my mind just praising God loudly and with all my heart... full of the joy of the Lord!  it was a sweet time of happiness, rest and contentment in His presence... praise is irresistible when He is so near.

there was an old, poor black man with a cane... he was struggling to get on the bus... he was trying to run as much as he could.  but he was more like hobbling.  i remember his hat and rags he was wearing.  

i stopped praising and noticed this man struggling to run after the bus.  i reached out my right hand and held onto the bar with my left hand, barely able to keep a grasp with the rough terrain and my whole body hanging off the bus.  he was reaching for me and i kept reaching for him... everyone on the bus was telling me, "no we cant take this man with us, he is poor and dirty!!"  and i kept responding with, "what are you talking about!? yes we can!!" 

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maybe the poor black man was representing Jesus... how can we say we love Jesus if the pride of our hearts wont allow us to reach out to the needy and dirty?  

"I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me... Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." 
-Jesus