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
Photo provided courtesy of Debbie Reeves