A Delightful Surprise

I have been very fortunate and blessed to have had dreams from the Lord throughout my life. This is the account of one of them.

I had been dreaming a particular word all night long. It was so irritating, but I managed to wake up from this dream. I was relieved because I could go back to sleep and forget about the word that kept repeating.

To my disappointment, I began dreaming the same word again. Over and over again! It was the word, “Sepharad .” I believe that it was Gods voice I was hearing. At the time, I didn’t think this. I was tormented for hours! I kept hearing a voice calling me, as if my name was Sephoarad. I was in my 20’s and had never heard this word. I didn’t even know what it meant.

I finally woke up from my dream and felt hard pressed to find out what it’s meaning was. It was a root of “Sephardic”, relating to Jews from Spain. I didn’t think anything else about it and had no idea the journey God was about to lead me on!

I had been taking a History class that required a research project, in order to pass the class. It was a very intense and required thorough research. At the time, I was working at a Jewish Non-Profit Organization and had no idea that God has placed me there, intentionally.

I began researching my Family lineage and began finding that I had Spanish ancestors. Not only did I find the town in Spain, from which my ancestors lived, but I also found out that my really Great Great Grandfather on my paternal side was a Carpenter on the ship La Niña, which belonged to the historic, Christopher Columbus.

My ancestor was not only Spanish, but a Sephardic Jew, who later fled Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. The Lord placed people in my life that were able to tell me very specific details about my Sephardic background.

I knew a woman who was a Ladino Jew. She explained her Sephardic cultural practices, which lined up with my Hispanic ones. I also found out that my Hispanic wedding traditions were also, very Jewish in nature. It is customary for us to lift up the Bride and Groom, during the Bridal bouquet toss. The lifting up of the Married couple is also seen in Jewish weddings.

My maternal Grandmother would celebrate Jewish holidays like Passover and practiced sweeping dirt into the middle of the room, which I found out was a very Jewish custom, in times past. I was delightfully surprised, shocked and humbled by my findings. I also received an “A” on my research paper and this was from a Professor that rarely gave “A’s” .

Looking back on my dream, I believe with all my heart that it was from the Lord. I believe He was revealing this to me and was in a sense, “calling me by name.” Although I was not raised Jewish by any means, I can say that down the line, I have family ties to Israel, both genetically and spiritually.

It changes nothing, but only increases my love for the Jewish nation, its people and our Savior. I learned so much from all the Jewish people I met and worked with. I only have the Lord to thank. I hold it dear to my heart and cannot wait to share it with my children too!

Have you ever been given a dream from the Lord? Comment below, I’d like to have you share. God bless you.