Imagining the Unseen

Last week a couple of sweet girls that live around the corner from us were over to play with Megan. They are 10 and 11 and, along with Megan, are in the process of shedding many of their childlike ways. It was twilight and I was in the den downstairs when our visitors shot out of Meg's room with astonished faces.
“Mrs. Brukiewa!”, exclaimed the oldest in a very concerned tone, “I think your daughter believes in fairies!”
“Really?!” I replied, feigning concern. At that point Meg emerged from her room behind them donning a mischievous grin and a twinkle in her eye.
“YES!” injected the youngest, “I think she really does! She wants to go outside and look for some!”
“Hmmmm. . ..”, I hummed with the same grin Meg had inherited from me.
“Wait...you don't believe in fairies?! Do you?!!!”, inquired the 11 year old in disbelief.
“I'm not telling.”
A couple befuddled moments passed before she gasped with the startle of a new possibility, “WAIT! Are they real?!”
A laugh escaped from me with my answer, “You'll have to decide that for yourself. But it might be fun to go look for one anyway.”
The sisters looked at each other and exclaimed “YEAH! Let's grab a flashlight!”
And off the three imaginations went into the twilight.

Imagination. It is a gift imparted to us from a Creator who imagined the universe in all its detail before it was. Engaging the imagination was so much more natural as children, but then something happened. As we grew into adults we experienced the pain of disappointments and disillusionment and we began to become weary of hoping for what is not tangible. Somewhere along the way, to some degree or another, we became jaded. We no longer looked for fairies. We knew better.

Last week we went through the heartbreaking process of putting our dog and faithful friend of 13 ½ years to sleep. The night before, the Lord gave our family a word from II Corinthians 4:16-18; 5:1-5 to comfort us. One verse in particular has lingered with me.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
II Corinthians 4:18

Something seems very odd about this verse. Exactly how does one “fix” one's “eyes” on what is “unseen”? Turning to the One who inspired such a statement I questioned, “Jesus? Really?! You're not making sense again!” But all I got back from Him was that same mischievous grin that, apparently, Meg and I inherited from Him.

As I thought about it more, it struck me that it must involve the imagination to be able to see what is unseen. And my thoughts turned back to the children and some things Jesus spoke about them in Matthew.

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”
Matthew 11:25

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:2,3

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:14

Wow. So what do kids have that we wise and “learned” adults lack? Qualities like innocence come to mind. Dependance upon the love and nurture of their parents. Being naked and unabashed. A sense of wonder and amazement. (They don't know it all yet!) A curiosity that urges them to turn things over to see what life may be teaming underneath. A willingness to believe the unbelievable. Hopefulness. An unfettered ability to imagine what is not seen... hmmm.

Unless you become like little children . . .

If what we see is not nearly all there is, and if being able to fix our eyes on the unseen eternal depends upon us looking beyond what we know and trust as tangible, then we need to practice using different eyes. Christ said He came to recover what was lost. Maybe part of what He came to recover was our lost imaginations so we might become as little children again and have our spiritual eyes restored. Maybe.

So how about it? Dare we test it out? Dare we gather up in the butterfly net of our imagination every hint of truth and beauty, every teasing mystery, ever glimmer of love and hold onto it like a child's pudgy fist holds onto a tiny treasure? It may only appear to be a plastic bead from a broken dress up necklace, but it is really a seed from the unseen Kingdom. Plant it in your heart and it will grow until the eyes of your heart are opened wide and fixed on the Eternal. We are the Children of God. The Kingdom is real and it belongs to us now. It is here just waiting for us to seek it out. So come on! Let's grab a flashlight!

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Ephesians 1:18