Written by David P. Nolte
My 5 year old grandson, Tommy, once told me he would build me a dinosaur someday. I asked him how he would do it, and he said, "I have to dig around and find a lot of bones and hook them together." Then he grinned at me and said, "I have a good imagination!"
Imagination: vision, creativity, inventiveness. Imagination is a good thing for us to cultivate. How can we use imagination to good profit?
We might ask ourselves, "How can I help visitors to feel a genuine welcome? What could I do to encourage them to come again?" You might make a point of giving them a personal phone call or dropping them a note of welcome. Just ask Dave for a number and address. You might decide to take a plate of cookies, a pie, or a freshly baked loaf of bread by their home. You don't have to go inside unless they invite you.
Be creative in learning to serve others. Maybe you know someone who needs a break from the children; offer to take them with you if your family goes to a movie or out for a hamburger or to the beach. Maybe somebody has been ill and you could vacuum their living room or do some laundry. Maybe a widow's car has tires that need rotating or it needs an oil change. Invent, create, be innovative.
Try to be creative in your family life. Recall the sort of things you did when courting and do some of those same things. Do family skit nights; allow each member of the family choose what you are having for Friday night dinner (one mother said to her daughter, "It's you brother's night to choose dinner -- we're having Bubble Gum!"). Therefore, some guidelines may be necessary. God gave you an imagination; put it to work!