End-time Dreams

I've been having a recurring dream lately that leaves me a little scared...but let me start at the beginning.

I grew up with stories like Project Sonlight and tapes that were pretty scary, portraying the End Times of this world, having to run from authorities and being hunted down - perhaps you know the one I'm talking about, it was pretty popular in the late 70s. Part of my beliefs also included persecution for your faith in the End Times, a "time of trouble such as never seen before".

I've always been a little terrified of that Time of Trouble, scared that I won't make it through the testing and trying, that my faith isn't strong enough, and especially of my son having to suffer, or me having to see him suffer. I often wish I could just fast-forward past it to the Heaven-bits.

The campus I live on slopes up to the base of a mountain, and I'm right at the top, looking over the entire property. I can see the college gate and entrance-way from my front door. We're a nice little collection of Christians, conveniently all in once place with only one exit.

The dream I've been having is this: I am at the top of the hill, at my place, and see a large number of police cars and vans approaching the gate, lights on, sirens screaming. I just know they're here to get us. I can see them fanning out to cover the church in the lower campus, where everyone else is gathered (I seem to be bunking church yet again...), approaching the dormitories and cutting off all escape. I know there's a way out through the field behind my house, but it's not a way I can take my car. There are fences in the way, and only one road beyond that leads over the hill into wineland farms. So I start running, grabbing my son on the way and wondering what will happen to my three dogs - will they have enough food and water? How long will they have to survive without me until the end of the world? Months, weeks, days, or years? Where can I go - up the mountain?

You know how it is in these dreams. You run, but your feet seem stuck to the ground and no matter how much effort you put in you never seem to move faster than a sleepy snail.

I often wake up in a sweat from this dream, scared to open my eyes. I hear police sirens in the distance and think "they're coming for me".

I know I should have assurance that God will have His hand of protection over me and mine. I've tried to find peace between the chaos of end-time predictions. And yet I still get a cold clammy stab of fear every now and then and wonder "what if..."

(Apparently I'm not the only one having strange dreams or thinking about a potential loss of freedom.)

::update::
Discussion between 2 folk just outside my office a few minutes ago:
"You know, the signs are all around us that the Time has come and the world is going to end soon."
"Yes, I can see prophecy being fulfilled!"
"I'm so glad God has promised to take care of us through what the future holds."
"Yeah, me too. Amazing what promises He gives."

Wow....how relevant is that!:)