A Glance Backward - Lorrie Orr

 

Just imagine. In my January post I challenged myself to use my imagination more in my spiritual life and in my writing life.

In the half-darkness of not-so-early morning I open my curtains to greet the day. Recently, fog obscures the landscape, drifting through trees and houses, revealing and hiding in turn. The process of imagining resembles fog to me. Ethereal. Soft and mysterious. Putting imagination into action is like the sun burning away the mist in an alchemy of air and warmth. I've learned that I need to harness my imagination to life's realities for it to serve any good. In addition, when my imagination aligns with God's, well, Ephesians 3:20 comes to mind:

"God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around, but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us" (The Message)

Poet Luci Shaw writes "Imagination gives us pictures by which to see things the way they can be, or the way they are, underneath." When we ask ourselves, "What if...?" I fire up those imagination cells and develop my view of the world.

This year I have asked myself,

"What if I could actually finish a writing project?"

That spurred me to create a plan of action and stick to it. I'm behind on my schedule and will not finish my first draft by December 1, but that's okay. I'm holding onto that imaginary moment in the future when I am finished. Grace goes along well with imagination.

"What if I could do something to help build my local church body?"

We are currently in between pastors and the body is struggling a little. I asked myself the above question and now I'm teaching Sunday School to K-Grade 1, a far cry from the high school students I am used to teaching.

"What if I did something more positive than listen to the news on the radio?"

Instead of listening, I now sing. It's a lovely way to drive and I arrive at my destination in a wonderful frame of mind.

Integrating imagination with my faith walk is a process that I look forward to continuing throughout my life. This little look backward has propelled me forward in my thinking. Erwin McManus writes "Only in our imagination can we begin to contain even the smallest expression of the bigness of God...". I know of God's greatness in my head, and I love using my imagination to bring that knowledge to my heart.

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island where she enjoys boating and hiking with her husband. Gardening, sewing, reading, and spending time with her five grandchildren fill her days with happiness and contentment. She is newly retired from teaching high school Spanish. She writes a slice of life blog at Fabric Paper Thread.