Ellen’s Dream of the Narrow Way
Over 100 years ago God gave Ellen White a dream. In
the dream she was traveling with a large group of people. Some of the people
had their wagons loaded with all their things. The road they were traveling on
was steep, and on one side was a big drop-off and on the other side was a high
white wall.
The road got narrower and narrower so they had to
leave their wagons because there was not room enough for them. Some of the
people tied their luggage on the horses and rode the horses.
The path kept getting more narrow, so the people were
all crowded near the wall. When their luggage hit it they would sway toward the
edge. They were afraid they would fall off the edge, so they cut the luggage
from the horses and it fell off the side. When the road became so narrow that
they were afraid they would lose their balance, they got off the horses.
Finally they left their horses behind and followed each other, walking in each
other's footsteps. Just then small white ropes came down the wall and they
grabbed them to keep their balance. The ropes moved as they moved. Finally the
path became so narrow that they had to take off their shoes and stockings. Even
then it was difficult to stay on the narrow and dangerous path.
Many people who were not used to such hard traveling
had already stopped climbing. But the people who were used to things being hard
kept traveling and wanted to reach the end of the road.
Because the road became so narrow they could not walk
on it they had to hold on tight to the ropes saying “We have to hold on
from above! We have to hold on from above!” Each person said these words
to the next person on the path.
Suddenly the people on the path heard all kinds of
noises from below the cliff. They heard naughty words, bad music, loud laughing
and also loud crying. The people holding on to the ropes on the wall were more
determined than ever to keep going up the narrow path.
The ropes got bigger and stronger. In the dream Ellen
saw that the white wall had blood on it. It made her sad to see the beautiful
wall stained with blood. Then she realized that when people came up the path
and saw the stains they would know that others had been there before them, and
even though they suffered a lot of pain they had kept on going up the path.
This would encourage them to keep on going, too.
Now the people came to a big cliff below them and the
path ended. There wasn’t anywhere to put their feet. They must trust the
ropes, which had become very thick. Some of the people wondered where the ropes
came from and what was holding them.
Then in her dream Ellen White looked across to the
other side from the cliff and saw a beautiful field of green grass about six
inches high. She could not see the sun, but bright beams of light like fine
gold and silver rested on the field. It was more beautiful than anything she
had ever seen on earth. But would they reach the field? What if the ropes
broke?
Again the people whispered the words “What holds
the ropes?” Then someone said, “Our only hope is to trust in Jesus.
The ropes have held us safely all this way; they will still hold us.”
While they were waiting they heard the words,
“God holds the ropes. We need not fear.” Then Ellen’s husband
James White swung himself over the cliff and landed in the beautiful field.
Ellen then took the rope and swung across. Then the rest of the people did the
same. They felt so relieved and happy and thankful. They then sang a beautiful
song to God.
Many times James and Ellen had hard times, but then
they would remember the dream and ask God to be with them and help them.
Let’s remember, boys and girls, that we too are
traveling to a beautiful place and if, like the people in the dream, we hold on
to the ropes of faith, we will be carried safely to God’s heavenly home.
Adapted from The Spirit of Prophecy Emphasis
Stories, vol. 2, pp. 59-62 |