THE MIND AT PLAY

December 6, 2025

Jason Bonnicksen

THE MIND AT PLAY

365 DAYS OF THANKSLIVING — DAY 6

With lantern in hand, S’Muamua descended into the dark abyss. Downward he stepped into the subterranean world no one knew existed. The cavern floor appeared damp, yet S’Muamua’s feet hadn’t gotten wet. The walls, covered with labradorescence moonstone reflected the radiant beams from his hand-held torch. As S’Muamua’s face took in it all, something unusual, something unique grabbed his gaze—on object resting adjacent to his feet.

     “What’s this?” S’Muamua asked, as he crouched over to grab the stone. What he presumed was rock was in fact petrified bone, a skull unlike anything seen before. S’Muamua marveled at its face. It had been from a species no people he knew had ever encountered before.

     The skull was heavy like stone, yet like the cavern walls, it glistened with colors of the rainbow. S’Muamua, unaware of my presence, wondered what species this skull hailed. Yet, me — an invisible traveler unseen by S’Muamua — recognized the species: an Alaskan Grizzly, one that’d been extinct for more than 10,000 years.

     “This place, S’Muamua said aloud, “it’ll be perfect for my people to hide if and when the mainlanders invade.”

   S’Muamua hailed from a proud farming clan. They cultivated the island’s miracle crop that was the staple of their diet, and that of their neighbors on the mainland: a form of wheat that stood six-foot tall. Its amber grains glistened in the sun as far as the eye could see. His island homeland Amberland was named after this grain.

     For millennia, Amberland had been the home to S’Muamua’s people, a volcanic island big enough to be a continent in itself. Its people were at peace and lived in harmony with the land. Yet their neighbors, who lived hundreds of miles away, had become increasingly demanding for more of Amberland’s grain. In their covetous greed, they plotted invasion, to enslave Amberland’s people and to horde all of the grain.

     This cavern from which this creature died, S’Muamua thought, would be the perfect place to hide.

     Dreams: are they only the mind at play? While certainly I’m not an expert in the subject, I think that’s often the case. This dream of S’Muamua was one of two I had last night. From where dreams like these come, that I’m not 100% sure. Yet, some dreams I know are from the Lord.

     God gives us all dreams; a small percentage are meant to guide; but most perhaps I think are given for our minds to simply play. Our dreams can fuel our imaginations and innovation. They inspired authors to pen novels for us to enjoy. And, in a few instances, dreams are messages from the Lord.

     Was my dream of S’Muamua a vision from the Lord? No, I don’t recon so. But, nevertheless, I thank God for giving me this dream: dreams like this, and dreams that are from him that speak of future days to come.

     This morning, I awoke in wonder— thinking about what would be next for S’Muamua and his people. Would they survive? Would their memory glisten for 10,000 years like the Alaskan grizzly that shone in S’Muamua’s face? I’m not gifted enough to write stories such as these; but maybe God will inspire someone like you to pick up the story and delight us all.

     Here’s what I believe to be true. I think dreams are of the Lord. And for that, I thank him, for he allowed my mind to play last night.

     May God give you dreams for your mind to play, and may God give you dreams for future days. For as the good book says,

It shall come to pass”, the Lord said to the Prophet Joel, “that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”

Joel 2:28–31, ESV

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