Terry's Dream
Children's Story
Terry had a dream. It was a wonderful dream that often recurred if she was enjoying a good night's sleep. In fact it was such a good dream and had happened so often that Terry could remember every detail of it, and now often dreamed it in the daytime as well. When she ought to have been studying, Terry would be lost in a world of her own. And if things went wrong as they sometimes did, Terry would escape to her very own dream-world. She kept her dream secret and hugged it to herself, because she was afraid that if she told someone about the dream it might be spoilt, or worse, vanish altogether.
Terry would dream she was on a desert island all by herself. The sun would be shining, the sea surrounding the island would be a clear, crystal blue and just lapping gently on to the white sand, and there would be a gentle breeze ruffling through Terry's hair.
There were no other people on the island, but Terry had built herself a little house out of driftwood and tree branches and reeds and leaves, and she was very happy there. Lots of little animals kept her company, and she felt a bit like St Francis as all her furry friends gathered round her eating from her hands and sometimes perching on her arms and shoulders.
There was plenty of food on the island, and Terry enjoyed tasting all sorts of new, exotic fruits. Her island was a place of peace and tranquillity, where Terry could be herself and do anything she liked. It was a welcome haven from adults who told her what to do all the time, and other children who teased her and often did their best to make her life a misery.
But one day, a new person pushed himself into Terry's dream. Terry was furious. "How dare you gate-crash my dream?" she shouted. She found it much easier to shout at people in her dream than in reality. He looked quite a nice man, but Terry was too angry even to give him a chance. "Get out! Get out! Get out!" she screamed.
The man looked at her with soft eyes which were full of love. He ignored her rude outburst. "You know you're living in a dream world, Terry, don't you?" he asked gently.
Terry scowled. She didn't want to be reminded that her world was one of make believe. "None of your business," she growled, and refused to look at the man with the kind eyes. But he took no notice of her coldness and kept walking quietly but firmly towards her. When he reached Terry he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. Terry thought she had never felt a touch so full of warmth and love and healing. She nearly cuddled into the man's arms, but remembered just in time that this was her dream and her island and she didn't want anybody else at all. So she wriggled out of his arms and stood aggressively facing him. "I don't want you," she said. "I don't need you. I don't need anybody. Go away, you're spoiling my dream."
But the man didn't go away. And despite her rudeness and her bad behaviour, his eyes were still full of love as he gazed at Terry. "I'll go if you want me to," he said, "but this is only a dream and one day it will fade altogether. I can show you a life where you will become just as happy as you are now, but it will be real."
"Huh!" sneered Terry. "I know what real life is like, and it can never be as good as this. When I grow up, I'm going to find an island like this and live there all my life."
The man smiled, and his whole face became radiant. "Real life is often hard," he agreed. "But if you really want to experience paradise in the real world, I can help you. It'll be very hard work, and you'll go through a great deal of pain, but you'll gradually emerge into a new and brilliant and amazing life, and it'll be real. It will never fade, and you will discover enormous strength within yourself, and you'll learn to be the real "you" which you keep so carefully hidden at the moment."
Terry frowned. "That's too difficult, I couldn't possibly do that," she said cautiously.
The man held out his hand. "You could with me to help you," he said. "I promise to stay with you every inch of the way - until you find the Kingdom of God for yourself."
Terry looked into his shining face and felt herself melting in his love. She reached out her hand and walked forward, away from her fantasy island.
Terry would dream she was on a desert island all by herself. The sun would be shining, the sea surrounding the island would be a clear, crystal blue and just lapping gently on to the white sand, and there would be a gentle breeze ruffling through Terry's hair.
There were no other people on the island, but Terry had built herself a little house out of driftwood and tree branches and reeds and leaves, and she was very happy there. Lots of little animals kept her company, and she felt a bit like St Francis as all her furry friends gathered round her eating from her hands and sometimes perching on her arms and shoulders.
There was plenty of food on the island, and Terry enjoyed tasting all sorts of new, exotic fruits. Her island was a place of peace and tranquillity, where Terry could be herself and do anything she liked. It was a welcome haven from adults who told her what to do all the time, and other children who teased her and often did their best to make her life a misery.
But one day, a new person pushed himself into Terry's dream. Terry was furious. "How dare you gate-crash my dream?" she shouted. She found it much easier to shout at people in her dream than in reality. He looked quite a nice man, but Terry was too angry even to give him a chance. "Get out! Get out! Get out!" she screamed.
The man looked at her with soft eyes which were full of love. He ignored her rude outburst. "You know you're living in a dream world, Terry, don't you?" he asked gently.
Terry scowled. She didn't want to be reminded that her world was one of make believe. "None of your business," she growled, and refused to look at the man with the kind eyes. But he took no notice of her coldness and kept walking quietly but firmly towards her. When he reached Terry he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. Terry thought she had never felt a touch so full of warmth and love and healing. She nearly cuddled into the man's arms, but remembered just in time that this was her dream and her island and she didn't want anybody else at all. So she wriggled out of his arms and stood aggressively facing him. "I don't want you," she said. "I don't need you. I don't need anybody. Go away, you're spoiling my dream."
But the man didn't go away. And despite her rudeness and her bad behaviour, his eyes were still full of love as he gazed at Terry. "I'll go if you want me to," he said, "but this is only a dream and one day it will fade altogether. I can show you a life where you will become just as happy as you are now, but it will be real."
"Huh!" sneered Terry. "I know what real life is like, and it can never be as good as this. When I grow up, I'm going to find an island like this and live there all my life."
The man smiled, and his whole face became radiant. "Real life is often hard," he agreed. "But if you really want to experience paradise in the real world, I can help you. It'll be very hard work, and you'll go through a great deal of pain, but you'll gradually emerge into a new and brilliant and amazing life, and it'll be real. It will never fade, and you will discover enormous strength within yourself, and you'll learn to be the real "you" which you keep so carefully hidden at the moment."
Terry frowned. "That's too difficult, I couldn't possibly do that," she said cautiously.
The man held out his hand. "You could with me to help you," he said. "I promise to stay with you every inch of the way - until you find the Kingdom of God for yourself."
Terry looked into his shining face and felt herself melting in his love. She reached out her hand and walked forward, away from her fantasy island.
