Imagination and Abundance

Another example of imagination at work in our household this week, a poster for the teacher parade!

As we began a new rhythm last week of staying at home, Ramona and Ruthie started exploring our backyard and reclaiming it as their space after abandoning it during the winter season. Ruthie chose an outdated Little Tikes climbing cube (hailing from their days as infants), and turned it into an ice cream shop. She piled it with plenty of inventory (dead leaves), and invited us to her store. I told her I had no money, and she quickly responded by running over to the neighbors fence where the dead leaves have collected. Bringing over a fresh pile she said, “The leaves are the ice cream, but the leaves are also the money. Here you go!” Then she hopped back in and said, “What can I get you? We have every flavor there is!” I delighted in thinking up an ideal flavor, “How about chocolate peanut butter cookie dough?” “Coming right up!” she said. After I paid her I said, “well maybe I’ll leave the extra money here outside in case someone else comes to your shop and doesn’t have any money with them. She replied, “Oh that’s ok, there’s a neighbor who comes by sometimes and she doesn’t have any money, but I give her ice cream anyway.”

After a week of feeling scared, watching others around me feeling scared, seeing the scarcity we create when we’re convinced there won’t be enough, it brought me great joy to follow the lead of my 6 year-old daughter in imagining a world of possibility and abundance. One where nature’s provisions (last year’s abundant leaves) are exactly what we need. Where producers are generous and share with those in need. A world where there is enough, and then some. 

This week, how might we as followers of Jesus participate in this world of imagination and abundance even as the world around us continues to panic? Who might we call on the phone  this week to make sure they have enough? Enough food, enough supplies, enough human interaction? What creative project have we been putting off doing because we haven’t had the time, until now? Who do you have in your life who you can reach out to, someone to help you see that world of abundance when you are feeling scared?

We need each other. And these are important moments for both reaching out to others and letting others reach out to you in new and creative ways.