Imagine That

Bible Reading: Matthew 25:14-29

Archer wiped his hands on his shorts. Ladies and gentlemen, the bases are loaded. He gripped his bat tightly, pretending he was in the middle of a ball game. It’s up to Archer to bring in the runners to win the game. He took a practice swing.

“Archer!” His mother’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Time to read a little.”

Archer groaned. It was summer, but Archer’s teacher had suggested he read a little each day. “He has an amazing imagination,” she had said, “but he prefers to imagine stories and doesn’t seem to want to read them. He needs to improve his reading skills.”

Archer went inside and sat down with a book, but he didn’t read. He watched a fly climb up a wall. The climber struggled up the mountainside… he thought, watching the fly.

“Hey, Mom,” Archer called after a minute, “I should really go clean my room.”

“No, Archer, you need to do your reading,” Mom replied.

“I’m a hostage here,” Archer muttered as he turned back to the book. His imagination took over again. Forced to sit still for hours, the brave hostage stared into the stony darkness.

Archer sighed and read two lines. Then… “I’ll take out the trash,” he told his mom. “Or wash dishes for you.”

“Archer…” Mom sat down next to him. “You always loved stories, so I don’t know why you never want to read them.”

“If I knew how to write them, I’d have the people in them do lots of exciting things,” Archer said.

“I’m sure you would. Your imagination is so great. God has given you that talent.”

“You mean my imagination is a talent?” Archer asked in surprise. “You think it would help me write good stories?” He paused. “That would be cool!”

Mom nodded. “God has given each of us gifts. We can use them to point others to His goodness and the love and forgiveness He shows us through Jesus. Writing stories is one way you could share the imagination God’s given you with others, but you need to develop your gift in order to do that—and the more you read, the more you’ll learn how to write your own stories.”

Archer grinned at his mother. “Okay. I’ll try reading this again.”

-Nancy G. Hill

How About You?

What are you good at? Everyone has things they love to do or have a natural gift for. Your talent could be writing, helping other people, singing, teaching, or many other things. God gave you those gifts so you could use them to point others to Him. Think about what your talents might be—it might help to ask a parent or other adult what they think—and then develop your gifts and use them for God’s glory.

Today’s Key Verse:
1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Develop your talents