I could be generous, but generosity feels lonely. I could be slow to speak, slow to anger, and abounding in love, but patience often feels unfair. I could be silly or joyful, but silliness often feels inappropriate. It all depends on what we’re facing, but our big feelings and painful circumstances often combat positive attributes like these. It’s hard to live through dark clouds when we only see rain clouds ahead.

Then we reimagine.

The gift of reimagining takes the wonder of what we could be, the truth of what comes, and marries the two with the conscious effort of dreaming. In other words, to re-imagine is to say yes to more, yes to hope.

Hope is hard, unless we know that it’s a gift. This gift is hard to receive because reality bangs on our door and yells at us to worry. But if we really listen, we’ll see that we are prompted to reimagine each time a new day comes. Like how the sunrise burns through dark clouds at 6am. Amber rays don’t care how dark nighttime can be; new days will shine because they’re designed to keep coming. They command darkness to make room and step back.

When red and orange paint the sky, we are invited to answer, What could be?

After hard days or even good days, we have the freedom to reimagine what the days ahead could bring and to pray for our responses ahead of time. While our minds renew, we can notice any dark clouds overstaying their welcome, or any obstacles trying to hinder hope  

Then I reimagine.

When I am lonely, I will be generous still . When things are serious, I won’t judge the times that require a little silliness; I will celebrate and have fun. When I feel small or unschooled, I will write still.  When I’d rather self-preserve, fight, or flee, I will be slow to anger and abounding in love.

To reimagine is to set the clouds on fire with hope. Hope that’s designed to illuminate.

In stressful moments, we can reset. In stressful seasons, we can reimagine.

What do you need to reimagine today?

A new response to stress.
An old dream made new.
A relationship restored.
A new measure of faith for an insurmounatble situation.

I pray you sense hope rising with the sun today. I pray you reimagine with all of God’s creativity on your side.