When my son Jonathan was approaching the end of his first year at university, he proudly announced to Sue and me that he and nine of his university mates were planning to take a 9-week overseas holiday. For the first part of their holiday they were going to tour around southern India and then go through Pakistan on their way to Egypt!
Now, I must admit to receiving this news with mixed emotions. Firstly, I thought, what beautiful parts of the world to explore. This thought was soon captured by, ‘but you are a bunch of 19-year-olds, and this is your first trip overseas! Can’t you think of somewhere closer, like Tasmania?!’
The time came for him to fly out and we asked Jonathan to make sure that he either sent us a text or gave us a call to let us know that he has landed safely. He promised to do this, and off he went on his great adventure.
Unbeknown to Jonathan, Sue and I tracked his flight to make sure it landed safely, and it did, but we heard nothing from Jonathan. 24 hours passed, then 48 and finally 62 hours passed and still radio silence. As you could understand, our imaginations by now were running wild. Had he been kidnapped? Had he had an accident? Was he laid up in hospital? Was he chronically ill and on his deathbed somewhere? Our imaginations were playing huge tricks on us. Then finally on the fourth day, Sue gets a text, “Hi Mum, all good!”
God has gifted us all with an imagination, and this gift can prove to be a real blessing as it helps us to find creative solutions to complex issues. I admire people who can think creatively, imagine and come up with solutions that are extraordinary. However, in this circumstance, Sue and my imaginations weren’t helping either of us, rather it was significantly hindering us.
Almost all of us have had the experience of waiting for some important news and experienced an unexpected delay. The news could be school or university results, news about crucial medical tests or the confirmation of the safe arrival of a loved one. When the expected news doesn’t come, what happens to our imagination? Unless it is kept under control, which is easier said than done, our imaginations can run amuck! There is the old saying that ‘no news is good news’, but in these circumstances, this is so far from the truth that it isn’t funny. This is because more often than not, our imagination gets to work, and we find ourselves believing/thinking the exact opposite: no news is very bad news!
I have come to learn over time that one of the most important things I need to do in these times is to let my imagination stop at God. Believing that all things are in His hands and knowing He is fully aware of our circumstances and what is running through our hearts and minds. To believe this is to live with the understanding that the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah who says in the Old Testament Book, Isaiah 26:6: “You, our Lord, will keep in perfect peace him (us) whose mind is steadfast on You.”
What an incredibly encouraging and reassuring promise our Lord God gives to us, especially when our imaginations are starting to run amuck!
Our imagination is one of many gifts The Lord God gives us, but it only works effectively when we live in harmony with Him; live in a way where we seek His guiding hand over our lives.
How blessed are we who have known and experienced The Lord God who deeply loves and cares for each of us and can assist us when our imaginations start to run away from us? This blessing is not something reserved for a chosen few but is generously offered by The Lord God to each and every one of us.
Blessings,
Ross Grace
Executive Principal