creativity and imagination

This is Kaleb, my creative, imaginative and artistic child. This Christmas we bought him an easel to help him express himself. Kaleb is very special, let me tell you why.

Kaleb "marches to the beat of his own drummer", something said about me when I was a child. He interprets things in his own unique way. One day, a few years ago, I was reading the

Bible to my kids at night. There was a verse about not fulfilling the "lust of the flesh" let me find it.....

Galatians 5:17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

When he heard "flesh", he thought of "flush". His best interpretation of this verse was "only flush poop or pee down the toilet". I suppose a loose translation of this verse with Kaleb's translation could pertain for a child - imagine you are a child - you want to float a bar of soap in the toilet and see what will happen. Suddenly your mother is knocking suspiciously on the door wondering why you have been in there for so long. You flush the soap, along with a tube of toothpaste, some curlers and a bunch of your dads shaving cream. Had you resisted your lust of the flesh (in this case curiosity), you would not be getting in big trouble for the water all over the floor right now.

Anyway, Kaleb hears things a little differently. Last night, was his turn to do the dishes. When Kaleb does the dishes, sometimes it takes him the better part of the day. He is easily distracted, and his imagination is out of this world. I always groan when it is his turn. Mostly because I want him to play outside and have fun. I hate to think he will spend hours of daylight in there. Then, I realized that dishes really weren't as painful as I had thought. Late into the night, Kaleb emerged from the kitchen with a smile on his face. We had watched a movie as a family and I almost forgot he was in there. After washing them all (or during), he had constructed several canoes and boats from some left over aluminum foil that had covered the baking dinner. He had then floated most of them. He was quite proud of his work. To Kaleb, most every task is an opportunity for imagination. When I see him in the kitchen staring at the sink of dishes, and not many are done, he is actually going somewhere else more interesting in his mind. Its a place where little boats are made.

In the emergency room I use my imagination all the time. I imagine how a wound should be dressed. I imagine the right way to approach a drunk individual who is very angry. I imagine how to approach a doctor when I want a certain thing done for a patient. Much of my care requires my imagination - its what makes me a good nurse. I especially use my imagination with psych patients. The other nurses smile and sometimes shake their heads. They acknowledge that I have dealt with each problem in a very creative fashion.

I bet you use your imagination also. If your very good at what you do, you see a solution in your mind. Then you go about making it a reality. Its something God put in each one of us. In all reality IMAGINATION is a powerful tool. Its a gift from our Creator. How will you use your imagination today?