“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)
I recently saw the movie, IF a couple of times. It is a sweet movie that I have enjoyed. Since that time I have thought of invisible/imaginary friends. I don’t recall having one, but I know my younger sister did. My older sister and I would walk her to the next block to a very run down house. It was there that her invisible friends lived. I always pictured them as giraffes, who lived on the first floor and looked out the upper windows. We would walk down to the house and stand on the sidewalk while she looked up to the upper floor and talked with them.
When we had children, our oldest had an imaginary friend. He had the same name as a Sesame Street character, Gonzo. I personally did not care for her invisible friend. He was pretty rowdy and got my daughter into a degree of trouble. Fortunately he left our family.
As I thought of all of this, I realized that often we depend on our self talk, our imaginary friends and/or just grinning and going through it all, teeth bared and set.
I remember shortly after my Mom had passed that I laid on my bed crying. I know I was alone and I was miserable. For some reason I remember just calling out to Jesus. This came to mind while thinking about the movie, imaginary friends and this image. It all came rushing into my mind at once. (Yes, it was one of those sleepless nights that seem to occur in old age)
As I thought about it all, I heard in my heart, “But, I am not invisible.” No, our Lord is not invisible. He is alive and real and an ever present help and comfort.
Last night in my mid night reverie I focused on our Lord. I thought about how He is not invisible or imaginary. He is with us daily. He knows our name. He sings a song of joy over us each day. He provides the help and support as we walk into new situations that might seem scary or overwhelming. And, as we call out to Him, He is there to answer us. For this, I am grateful.
The Refreshing of a Wild Rose 