Gift Number Five — JC's Village

Humor. Gratitude. Beauty. Rest.

Today’s gift is the gift of Imagination.

This is similar to the gift from Saturday (day 3) but what I’m proposing today is that you remember that once you were all about making and creating all the time. Maybe you drew pictures. Maybe you drew battles. Maybe you played your own covers of some music you liked on your band instrument, or while drumming on your desk at school. Maybe you made forts or lego creations. Maybe you created games to play with your friends. Regardless - once there was a whole world of imagination in your head - and you let it out all day long. Once - you engaged in imagination all throughout your day.

You know - as a child I thought it was “very adult” to feel frustrated about Mondays and to watch the news and tell the TV how terrible the news was. Thinking constantly about bills also seemed very adult. Playing make-believe was NOT adult at all. Not one bit.

Small wonder so many of us feel so nostalgic about childhood!

It’s very adult to use your adult mental faculties to imagine innovative solutions, make your work and/or home environment more convenient. It’s incredibly adult to shut off the news (by whatever means you get it) as soon as it starts to tank your mood. It’s okay to imagine getting essential information via whatever means is easiest to digest without affecting your mood for the day. Imagination’s power to help us find solutions to stress, nuisances, wanting to laugh more, helping others, communicating better, fostering community - or whatever thing we feel prompted to improve.

Imagine using your imagination to - lower your stress, or lift your spirits. What about using it to encourage a friend, or get yourself unstuck from a problem that’s been weighing on you.

Perhaps the best thing we can do with our imagination is to use it to help us grow our walk with Jesus deeper, wiser, stronger. I’m always amazed when I talk to someone who’s concerned that more of Jesus’ ways in our life could ever make our lives anything but better. Some folks imagine Jesus as some sort of Principle + Boss + Pastor combo - or whatever passes for intimidating to you. Jesus however - is the best ally you’ll ever find though - He loved you enough to die for after all. How often has anyone else done that for you? He’s the most skillful coach you could ever want. He not only got a solution to every problem but one that reveals more of who He is, illuminating how Good He is, unifying for families and faith communities, faith-building, and instructive in helping us not grow weary of serving Him.

My favorite way to imagine a new answer to an old problem is to pray about it, remember the times in the New Testament when Jesus and His disciples went out onto Lake Galilee just because - and imagine that I’m out in that boat with Him too. Then I go for a walk and pop him my question. That’s just one way. There are loads of ways - I’m sure you can imagine a few of your own. Whatever issue you might want to improve, I imagine you and He can handle it.