"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." ~ Hebrews 11:1
Her father was a painter; as much an artist as an
imagineer. He never sold a single piece of his work, yet he created entire worlds
within the modest boundaries of their backyard.
When Jillian was seven, she would watch him at his easel as he painted
an old oak tree with a rope swing, a stunning floral garden, and a whimsical
playhouse in the center of their lawn. In reality, none of these things stood
in their yard, but through his brush, they felt real enough to believe in. His
artistry spoke in a language beyond words—one filled with hope, beauty, and
possibility.
The garage became his
dusky art gallery, adorned with imagined trees, flowers, cats, and clouds.
Whenever the large garage door creaked open, sunlight would pour in and
illuminate the paintings all at once, as though dreams themselves were stepping
into the light.
Jillian would stand
there in awe, as if witnessing something sacred. She often begged him to paint
impossible things—a dinosaur, a castle, or even a spaceship. He’d just smile
and say he didn’t know how.
Still, she believed he could create anything.
That belief began to fade the day she watched him paint a woman standing in
their yard. Curious, she ran outside to find her, only to discover the space
was empty. For the first time, she realized the magic had its limits.
Years after her father’s death, Jillian
returned to the house and opened the garage again. The paintings still lined
the walls, quietly holding the dreams of her childhood. As she looked at them,
she found herself wondering what had ever been real and what had simply been
imagined.
Her gaze shifted to the mysterious woman Dad painted in the
backyard, and Jillian gasped. “Oh my God!” The woman looked exactly like
her in every detail.
In that moment, Jillian understood that her
father had not only painted what wasn’t there—he’d painted what could be. Long
before she had grown into herself, he had already seen her, imagined her, and
captured her in a way that reached beyond time.
In today’s hectic, tech-driven world,
nurturing a child’s imagination cannot be overlooked. It is not just a
whimsical escape; it is the foundation of vision, identity, and hope. It allows
children to see beyond their circumstances and grow into the possibilities
placed within them.
Lord
Jesus, bless every child with an imagination that helps them see beyond what
is, and into what can be. May they grow into the person You’ already seen in
them. Amen
