In this dream, I found myself navigating a series of high-stakes situations that forced me to confront my own limits and my desperate need for support.

I want to share the core themes of what I experienced:

It started on a beach with a dangerously high diving board where the tide was out. My kids jumped and face-planted in the sand, yet they got up and went swimming. I felt this intense pressure to warn other parents about the danger, even as I watched everyone around me distracted by minor, trivial discomforts. It was a clear moment of realizing I have to prioritize the "dire" over the "decorum."

I dealt with these "tubers" we had planted by our driveway. What started as something small and manageable—even "pretty"—turned into an invasive, heavy mess. The more I tried to pull them out, the more they seemed to multiply and break apart. To me, this felt exactly like debt or emotional baggage: things we let into our lives that grow until they feel like "garbage" that is incredibly stubborn to remove.

There was a strange intersection of my private and public life, with trains running through my own garage. I watched a conductor refuse to be rushed by a demanding passenger, standing firm on the fact that he knew his capacity and his need to "fuel up." Later, I even saw political figures struggling to get out of a limo through a window because the door wouldn't work—a reminder that even the most powerful people are often operating within broken systems.

The most emotional part for me was returning home from traveling. I was so exhausted that I fell asleep in the shower and woke up an hour late for church. I spiraled into a panic—my Sunday clothes were missing, and I found my guitars, things I love deeply, broken and split apart.

When I finally broke down in front of my wife, I realized the core truth of the dream: I’ve been trying to do everything on my own capacity, and I’ve run dry. My family thought they were helping by letting me sleep, but I felt abandoned in my exhaustion. It was a profound realization that as I work on myself and my goals, I don't have the strength to do it alone. I have to be willing to ask for help and, more importantly, I have to invite God’s grace to cover the gap where my own energy ends.