January 16, 2022

Just Imagine - Lorrie Orr

 


You can't see anyone else in the dinghy - just me. My husband snapped this photo while we were in the Octopus Islands off Vancouver Island. Living on a small boat for two weeks sometimes has us both craving a bit of solitude. Going for a paddle in the dinghy provides that. My mind drifts along with the waves and the current, and meanders along an endless variety of topics. 

Being in the natural world of creation is where I often feel closest to God, and this day I had a particularly strong sense of his presence, so much so that I could almost see Jesus sitting in the dinghy in front of me, wearing blue jeans, with bare feet. We conversed a little, but mostly it was a time of silent companionship as I rowed along the shore admiring the rock formations, the shadowed forest, and the play of light on the water. A monarch butterfly fluttered among the trees, bright orange against shaded green, and I sensed Jesus' smile at my delight. 

Using my imagination deepens my spiritual life, my connection to God, and I have begun practicing this deliberately. When I say the Lord's Prayer "let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven", I take the time to think and imagine how it would really look to see and experience God's will in various situations. Then, I am moved to act towards seeing God's kingdom come on earth.

When I imagine myself in the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15), I imagine sorting through my belongings, casting this and that aside in a frantic effort to find what I really need at the moment - that coin. I sense the woman's desperation at the loss, her deliberate efforts to find it, and finally, her intense joy and the compelling desire to share her find with her friends. I am then moved to reflect on what is of such great importance to me. What is it that I have searched for, and found, and must share with my friends and neighbours?

Just imagine.

I'll leave you with a few quotations on imagination that I have been pondering recently.

"The Christian imagination plays a great role in the spiritual development of the soul." (St. John of the Cross)

"The life of faith is less about gathering information than it is about expanding imagination...Only in our imagination can we begin to contain even the smallest expression of the bigness of God..." (Erwin Raphael McManus, The Artisan Soul, p 100-101)

"There is something mysterious and perhaps more than moral about the power and call of imagination." (G. K. Chesterton)



Lorrie Orr writes from southern Vancouver Island where she spends time with her husband boating and hiking.  She delights in spending time with her five grandchildren and introducing them to God's amazing creation.


18 comments:

  1. Dear Lorrie, your lovely words brought me along with you on the water with the Lord. Imagination is a wonderful gift He's given us. Thank you for encouraging us to use it for His glory and for our spiritual good.
    Blessings ~ Wendy Mac

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  2. Jesus is such a wonderful companion. Through the Holy Spirit, we are continuously connected with the Trinity. Unlike the days of dial-up, we need to do nothing but pray to contact them. The connection never goes down either.

    By the way, I had a monarch butterfly land on the blue keypad of my radio back in the summer of 1986. It's one of those memories which I wish I had on film. I'm sure Yaesu would have paid me a lot for such a photo to advertise their merchandise.

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    1. Thank you, Bruce. Yes, Jesus' presence is always near.

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  3. I wonder how God created the world. Did He use His imagination? If so, then we must have an imagination that He wants us to use because we are created in His image. Your article made me think, Lori!!
    Pam

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    1. I think God has such a marvelous imagination!

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  4. This is such a lovely post, Lorrie. Thank you for sharing it.

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  5. You painted a lovely scene, Lorrie. Made me homesick for my old days in the canoe.

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    1. Being on the water is such a lovely experience. Almost other worldly.

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  6. What a wonderful experience with the Lord, Lorrie! The phrase that caught my attention was: "mostly it was a time of silent companionship." Isn't that what the Lord desires--to love Him so much that we are comfortable with Him, soaking up His presence until sometimes words aren't necessary!

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    1. Yes. Sometimes I think we come with our methods, our agendas, our plans, and all He wants is our companionship.

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  7. Hi Lorrie. Thank you for your use of imagination in your writing. I am going to have to pay more attention to this gift of imagination God has given us. Keep writing!

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    1. Thank you for your comment, Alan. Imagination really is a lovely gift from God.

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  8. Lorrie, I loved your post! Felt a tingle at this line: "I could almost see Jesus sitting in the dinghy in front of me, wearing blue jeans, with bare feet." I had a similar experience some years ago. I was driving around town doing errands with the windows down; it was a glorious summer day. And I felt Jesus sitting in the passenger seat, companionably, his face towards the open window. And I felt his joy and the words from him, The wind on my face reminds me of being on the Sea of Galilee. I felt so close to him that day. I love our God-given imaginations to see with our spiritual eyes.

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    1. I love that you had a similar experience. He is always with us, no matter what.

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  9. What a wonderful post. Especially loved your visit with jean clad barefoot Jesus. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.

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