My parents culivated the imagination God gifted me with. My mom constantly filled my mind with stories that were woven with fantasy, love, and adventure. I have one particular story, that my mom and a 3 or 4 year old me, put down on paper, about a girl Charlene, who followed a trail of floating bubbles and tinkling music to discover a land of fairies who made her queen.
With a creative imagination, one is never bored. There's always a mystery to solve, an adventure to be had, or a story to unravel.
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy are all imaginary beings. I believed in them as a child and discovered their true identities at an average age, yet harbor no scars or ill-will having been "duped" by my parents.
As children of God, we are apart of the most wonderful adventure! I think a healthy imagination can aid in one's faith. Faith is descibed in Hebrews 11:1 as: "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." For me, having a strong imagination helped me with my faith, especially when it was new.
I encourage parents, especially in the high-tech, plug your kids in, go-go-go society that we are caught up in, to take the time to let yours and your child's imaginations run. It may seem awkward to let the rules and rigidity of life go. Here's a few suggestions to get you started:
- lay in the grass with your child and find shapes in the clouds
- read "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis
- take walks in the woods and catch falling leaves
- construct a fairy house out of elements of nature
- play house
- get out a board game and let your child make up the rules
- read the Bible with your child
- fingerpaint
- start telling a story and let your child fill in the details
