Josh snuffled and sneezed as the annoyance of his dream began to filter into
the conscious part of his sleeping mind.  His left hind paw began to twitch
and claw at an imagined itch - an itch that taunted him, eluded him, mocked
his efforts to relieve it.  He tried to envision the source of this
irritation, real or imagined; but could not.
 
"I'm asleep!" A part him cried out.  "I'm only dreaming.  These visions that
my dreams are showing to me could not ever possibly be."
 
Deep within the sleeping ferret's mind, Josh knew that these things which
disturbed his sleep would soon come to pass.  His frantic efforts to scratch
them away launched a small stone from its sandy sanctuary, launched it into
the air.  The smooth river pebble glistened for the briefest of moments in
the clear moonlight that bathed the camp of the travellers before falling,
unnoticed, a few inches away from the Master's right knee.  The stone made a
tiny poofing sound as it settled, once again, into the timeless sands of
this place that was no place in particular.
 
As a soft, cooling breeze spread its continuing relief to the parched desert
land that sheltered the travellers that night, made the whiskers of the
men's beards dance, and gave what seemed to be a life of it's own to Josh's
thick fur, a tiny twig gave its all to the campfire - gave up its perch upon
the top log - and fell with a soft crackle into the waiting embers below.
 
This tiniest of sounds roused Josh from his troubled sleep.  The ferret
yawned his best yawn, began to stretch his most satisfying stretch, when the
memory of his dreams flooded into his waking mind.  Instinctively, he began
to try to scratch away the troubling images that his dreams had left behind.
He came to complete wakefulness when he realized that this was an itch that
could never be scratched.
 
"Oh, Master," Josh sighed as he laid his head into Jesus' sleeping and
outstretched hand.  "I was there when You were born.  Such a wonderful day
of love and hope had never existed before.  Please tell me that the things I
see in my dreams will never happen."
 
As the frightened ferret watched, he saw the faint traces of a smile begin
to form on his Master's sleeping lips.  He felt the calmness of gentle
fingers as they caressed his trembling body.
 
"Peace, be still, my little friend," Came Jesus' voice as it soothed itself
into Josh's mind.  "These things that you see will happen, as happen they
must if I'm to be believed by men.  Be comforted by the knowledge of the
good things that might happen after these things that trouble you now."
 
Upon hearing this, Josh fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.
 
To be continued...
 
Joy to the World!
[Posted in FML issue 1828]