Thought for the Week | The Power of Imagination

Anne-Marie here! This week I’ve been enjoying watching a series of voice actors playing an imaginative table top role-play game together and it got me thinking about how wonderful it is to use our imaginations.
I’ve always been an imaginative person. As a kid I would spend hours and hours playing pretend with my friends or with my toys. As I grew older I took every opportunity to carry on using my imagination in drama classes and school productions. And now that I’m grown up, I still look for ways to find that joy of getting into character and delving into stories. I’m so thankful that in my work for ICE I’m need to rely on my imagination in many different ways!

Our imaginations are incredible, whether we’re inventing new gadgets or having a tea party with plushies or going on adventures to save the galaxy in the playground, imagination is a powerful tool for fun.

But there’s something more to this as well, because the Bible teaches us that God is a creative, imaginative God. Right in the first book of the Bible we see God speaking the universe into being, creating all the stars and mountains and rivers and plants and creatures. Have you ever watched a nature documentary and been amazed at how different all the creatures in our world are? There are so many wonderful things in our world that show the power of God’s creative imagination – just look at how everyone in the world is so unique!

The Bible also talks about how we are made in God’s image. That doesn’t necessarily mean that God has a body that looks like ours, no. Instead it means that God gave us the same creative imagination he has. He made us to be like him in the way he loves and creates. You might not realise it, but you’re an artist!

Not many of us feel comfortable calling ourselves artists, even when we have some skill in drawing. It feels boastful, doesn’t it? But God gave us the gift of our imaginations to use in so many ways. We think, we write stories, we design amazing clothes and buildings and gadgets. We act and sing and dance…all these things are reflections of God’s creative imagination flowing through us. Playing and creating are absolutely essential to keep our mental health up. It’s good fun, but it’s also very good for helping us cope with difficult times.
So pay attention to those moments of creativity, seek them out and enjoy joining in with God in the art of creating something amazing and have fun!

How will you use your creative imagination today?

– Write a short story

– Draw a picture

– Pretend to be a hero on an adventure (even if the villain you must defeat is the dishes!)

– Make a costume or have a fashion show with what you find in your wardrobe

– Discover a table-top role play game with family and friends

– Make a Pinterest board of the interesting ideas you can find

– Start a journal

– Learn a new skill like origami

– Make a musical instrument out of things you find around the house

– Have something different for dinner