As we reflect back to 20 years ago I realize that it is time to share my story. As I look back I have the commonality of being one effected by the reality of that day in most ways all of you living then experienced it. I recall the news stations broadcasting the minute by minute updates as I sat watching. Yet, I also recall something most of you did not experience. I recall that as I watched those updates I correlated their announcements with a dream I had a week previous.
That night I dreamt of being in a large city by the water. In the dream people were walking on sidewalks with back packs on their backs. On their feet many had on tennis shoes yet were dressed in nice clothes, Sunday go to meetin’ type of clothes. As the dream went forward I saw the people in their everyday fashion, walking to work or to shop. But then it all changed. The biggest thing I can recall is that people were not acting in their usual way. An elderly lady was in need of help yet able bodied men ran by her and I was afraid she was going to be trampled in the rush. Smoke and ash began to fill the air and I asked God to reveal to me where I was at. I looked at the license plates on the cars parked alongside the street and saw mostly sets of numbers. (I have those someplace jotted down but as for now I can tell you these came into play later as I watched the event unfold.) I did see the state of Georgia on one plate. Later on this caused me to reflect on the events of the Olympics in 1996. Was this dream taking place in Atlanta? It didn’t seem to be as there was a giant body of water nearby. I dreamt of a building falling toward me. I was running in the dream as the building toppled toward me. I saw a projection, like a thin tower, at the top coming at me. It seemed to puncture my hand. I awoke and looked at my hand to realize that I was safe. I had not been stabbed by the object nor had I been killed. I was quite upset by this dream. I was trembling. I could not go back to sleep. Picking up my journal I wrote down what I had just experienced hoping to make some sort of sense of it all. (I cannot find that now, sorry.)
Later that morning I went into work. I was still frazzled and one of the young male teachers asked me if I was all right. I told him about my dream and we discussed it a bit.
Fast forward to a week later, Sept. 11. Back at work, the morning started as most do. By now the dream was but a memory and I was teaching my class. I looked up to see the young teacher coming into my room. He asked me to make sure to go to the Library for lunch. I needed to see what was on the television. I said okay and continued to teach. There was no announcement, nothing. Around 11:00 I walked to where he had asked me to and entered the room. I saw he and others in the room watching television. (We did not have tvs in our rooms back then.) On the screen was the building with the lean thin tower at the top. I recognized it immediately. I was mesmerized for a moment. Then, I looked at the young man and I yelled out, “That is the building that was in my dream.” His eyes caught mine and I could not watch any more. I ran out of the room and went away from it all. What had I seen? Why had I been shown this horrible thing? As the day progressed a few parents came and pulled their kids out of school and took them home. We heard of a staff member who had a loved one working in the towers. I was in a daze. I just wanted to go home.
When I did go home I ran to get my journal with my notes about the dream. Then, I went into the living room and watched the news. As I watched I noticed that the numbers on the license plates were the flight numbers. The back packs were on the backs of New Yorkers headed to work. In them were most likely their dress shoes and I decided that was why they had on tennis shoes with their dress clothes. Of course, the building that had fallen was one of the towers. I kept watching as the events on the news unfolded and I correlated them with my dream. The only thing that did not fit was the Georgia plate. I could not figure that one out.
A feeling of self blame came over me. Should I have told someone about my dream? Could I have done something that could have helped save lives? I’d had dreams like this at times and I had seen the reality of the dream on tv before. I had experienced dreams about plane crashes, family deaths, etc. But this one was different. This one hurt deeply and it saddened me that I had never done anything to help.
Back at school the following day there was a knock at my door. I answered it and found a middle aged man with a box. He told me he had heard that I liked to share wildlife with my class and wondered if I would like to pass what was in the box around the room for the children to see. I did. I took the box in and showed the students the contents and they began to pass it around. It was then that he asked me to step into the hallway and speak to him. He had some questions. Not thinking much about it, I did. He told me that he was with the local FBI. He then began asking me about what had transpired in the Library the day previous. Someone I worked with had called him. I was shocked! The FBI wanted to talk to me? Long story short I agreed to come to their office after work. He told me where to come and what to do to be able to enter the building. He asked me to bring along my notes in my journal. That afternoon I did as asked. All day, I had wondered about the whole situation. Who had called him? What did they want? I was now more upset than ever. Should I have taken it to them days ago?
That afternoon I spent time with the agent and did as asked. I took my journal in. I answered his questions. Honestly, at this point the things I remember the most are that he was upset with me and kept asking question about the Georgia thing. He demanded to know how I knew about Georgia. I repeated over and over that I saw the license plate in my dream. That was all I knew. To this day I have no clue as to why he was so persistent on that part of the dream. I also recall him asking me to send in any dreams I have to them prior to the event. After the fact did no good. I agreed to do so and did for a while. Then, I simply asked God to have my dreams stop. I could not handle the fact that I had done nothing. The guilt and the blame was too hard. I now had people at work asking me if I had been given a dream about them. I also had people telling me that if I did dream about them to keep it to myself. I was a mess. I had to have it stop.
Fast forward to a while back. I asked God to allow the dreams to begin again. They have. I had a dream about 2 days prior to the floods in the south about a young girl camping with her family. They were in a campground and the waters were rising. I watched as they and others attempted to exit the park. The grounds were too soft and they did not get out. I then saw the girl in her camper as it filled with water to near the ceiling. She was trapped. I woke up.
As one who used to dream of events, and it seems am once more, I am writing this to ask you a question. It seemed to me 20 years ago that there had to have been others given that dream or one similar. If we had convened and shared notes could we have not done something? Was I to pray? More? I am asking for feedback from anyone who has any ideas on what to do with these dreams. I am a Christian so PLEASE do not tell me I am some kind of whatever etc. I am not on the dark side by any means. I pray to God. I go to church. I worship God and his son, Jesus. I would also like to hear from those of you who have prophetic dreams. What have you done with your dreams?
I pray this day you are well and that this article has touched you in some way. I lift up your concerns in the name of Jesus and I now close this post. Pam
A Walk in Faith 