Grapes of Abundance: 13 Thoughts

I had another striking dream last night. It was a very short segment. I seemed to be in a vineyard, watching. I saw in front of me my husband’s large hand, holding a great cluster of grapes, of such mass that it weighed down his hand. The grapes were plump, deep purple, and beautiful. I clearly heard the word “abundance.” To my right, I noticed my husband’s younger brother reaching into a bag, perhaps burlap, and he said with amazement, “there is so much, I can’t seem to pull them all up.” I observed the brother as his hand stretched out to take hold of more bunches of grapes, and there seemed to be no end to them. Abundance. That was the whole of the dream. I don’t know the fullness of the meaning of this dream, but here are 13 thoughts (for the Thursday Thirteen meme) I have of the possibilities - perhaps one or another of these may capture the significance of the dream.

1. I should expect God’s provision. We are trying to wrap up our house project, and there is the stress and strain of all the elements of time, money, and labor having the essential collaboration and timing. I will trust in His abundant supply. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, he clothes the flowers, and consider the birds…

2. Aside from raw supplies, I can trust God to provide for my spiritual needs, in abundance! His Joy, Peace, Comfort, Eternal Security, and so much more. I can’t live without these resources. I woke up feeling very spiritually at rest, a contrast from the past month of intense worry and anxiety.

3. It’s interesting that the first immense cluster of grapes I saw was in my husband’s strong hand. As the main financial provider and spiritual head of our household, this makes sense. I had a fleeting thought in my dream of “I don’t know if I could hold up that huge bunch of grapes.” But he could.

4. My husband and I have a dream of cultivating a small vineyard on our property - the property in question. It’s interesting that the grapes appeared in my dream, as it to say, “We are coming!”

5. I did a quick search on grapes this morning, and unbelievably, I found an article titled, “Cornell Names New Wine Grape ‘Abundance.’” Can you believe? I live in Central Oregon, not exactly wine country, but there are a handful of vineyards. And this grape, ‘Abundance,’ was named for its productivity, makes a good red wine, and is disease resistance and winter hardy. Sounds exactly like what we would need to survive our harsh winters.

6. The presence of the younger brother in the dream - perhaps he has a share in this abundance, either monetary or spiritual?

7. There were grapes not only in my husband’s hand, but also in the sack the brother was reaching into, and the abundance of such was evident; this was more than we would ever use for just ourselves.

8. Grapes in the Bible symbolize charity; we have always prayed that we could be a blessing to others in significant ways.

9. The new wine that is embodied in grapes denotes a blessing. From Isaiah 65:8: Thus says the LORD: “As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, For a blessing is in it,’ So will I do for My servants’ sake, That I may not destroy them all.”

10. Like Pharaoh’s dream of seven fat cows and seven healthy ears of grain, perhaps this dream signifies the beginning of the years of plenty, and the rest has not yet been revealed.

11. The first verse that pops into my head about abundance is this: Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). What is in the heart is the crucial issue.

12. Along those lines of the heart, another telling scripture on abundance, from Proverbs 20:15 - There is gold, and an abundance of jewels; But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing. “Lips of knowledge” speak to me of wisdom; speaking wisely, acting wisely.

13. I’m so thankful for my dreams! I love looking for the nuances, the possible meanings, and just the richness of dreams. They are sometimes common, with no meaning at all, but sometimes extraordinary and vividly colored messages from God.