Grapes of Abundance: 13 Thoughts


GrapesI 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.

14 Responses

  1. Cassie February 7th, 2008 at 10:19 am

    A fascinating, insightful post! I’m glad I came to visit, Happy TT!

  2. Mo February 7th, 2008 at 11:07 am

    great list - some interesting stuff!

  3. MamaArcher February 7th, 2008 at 11:18 am

    what an awesome list! Thank you so much for sharing this!! It has been a blessing to read and contemplate!

  4. Lara February 7th, 2008 at 11:20 am

    Beautiful reminders that we should have faith in all things! Tough to do, but we should try everyday to believe.
    great TT!

  5. SmallWorld February 7th, 2008 at 11:48 am

    Wonderful post. My brother and father sell grape rootstocks, btw. They are online at http://www.cumminsnursery.com.

  6. Comedy Plus February 7th, 2008 at 4:41 pm

    Wow, what a dream. I hope it all comes true for you. Very well done. Have an abundant TT. :)

  7. e-Mom February 7th, 2008 at 5:53 pm

    Wonderful, wonderful. The whole scenario reminds me of the couple in “A Year in Provence.” Have you seen it? They live in a stone farmhouse (mas) and tend a vineyard. I’ve often dreamt of doing the same in Napa Valley. :~D

    Yes, God’s abundance… I pray He provides an abundant life for you in every way.

  8. Starrlight February 7th, 2008 at 6:57 pm

    That was a fun TT to read. Sounds you pondered that dream pretty long and hard!

  9. mandi February 7th, 2008 at 7:23 pm

    Wow! Very cool - I love how God speaks to us in so many ways. I had a dream years ago in which I woke up knowing it was the answer to a dilemma I was having. I knew immediately that it had been straight from God. The only one I have ever had like that. It was so powerful - God used it in the process of bringing a very dear friend to Christ!

  10. Jane February 7th, 2008 at 8:49 pm

    WOW, I am catching up on my regular reads now that I am back from holidays. Your blog looks amazing and I can see I will be learning lots- particularily about art history. I will come back to read more thoroughly!

  11. Grace February 7th, 2008 at 9:01 pm

    What a beautiful dream..which reminds me that I haven’t dreamed in my sleep for a week now…(as far as I can remember) or maybe I just forgot once I opened my eyes?

  12. Working at Home Mom February 8th, 2008 at 10:10 am

    Great list .

  13. Jen February 8th, 2008 at 11:32 am

    Thank you, everyone who has commented so far! I’ll take the time to respond to each of you and visit your sites, as well, probably tomorrow…my sister just flew in from Michigan and I have a full day planned with her, but I always respond and always visit - I don’t want you all to think I’m being rude! God bless your weekends!!

  14.   Rouge-Bleu: A Newbie Vine Farmer in Provence March 2nd, 2008 at 7:29 am

    […] passed through Portland, just hours from me. I left a comment on his blog anyway, mentioning our dream of a vineyard on our property someday. I was so surprised to see an email several days ago titled Vineyard in the […]

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