Rediscovered Breath

"Pretend that you are the zookeeper and I am the dragon"

"Pretend that we just got to the pirate ship and the mean men are ready to capture us!"

"Pretend that the magical bunny came alive when I was asleep"

"Pretend this cheeto is your orange lipstick"

I think I have done more pretending in the last 48 hours than I have done in a lifetime of daydreams.

These past few days I have been able to lavish play time with all four of my nieces and nephews. From puppet shows to doll houses to catching catfish to tractors or riding "Nellie" to pretending and imagining and dreaming............... I have loved every inch. There is little in life more magical than pretending and imagining and dreaming - don't you think? Imagination is simply capturing childhood in a bottle and opening it up at any given moment. Although it's difficult to put one favorite imagination memory at the top of the list this weekend, I would have to say this one is standing tall.

Reading "Sally and The Purple Socks" to Emma before bed, I was laughing hysterically the closer we got to the end. (Even to the point of her looking up at me, unamused to say, "Aunt b, what's so funny? It's not that funny?" And then there was the end. Wanting to read "three more books pleeeaassee," I distracted her by picking up a large book on her nightstand with a cloth cover made by the little four year old in the bed. Opening it, I found a book. The Book. Not "My First Bible" book, but the real deal. Full of old school poetry making up the greatest book of all time. Certainly not written in the language of a four year old........unless you make it come to life.

Opening it up and I knelt beside her bed, I could tell that this was common practice in my brother's household. Given the solid and grounded love in that home, I didn't doubt it one bit. "Read me about Queen Esther" she said. I smiled. I had only had a few minutes before "ultimately and absolutely past bedtime you must close your eyes this very second" came way. I had turned to Ezekiel. How do you make Ezekiel come to life in the minds eye of a 4 year old surrounded by a world of the Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers competition?

As I begin reading of "the glory of the Lord was shown all around him"..... I stopped for a second. "You know, I like to close my eyes and imagine sometimes what it would be like if what I read was really happening."

"How do you do that?" Bright eyed now. "Well.......(making this up as I went along) you close your eyes and pretend to see the pictures you would see in your mind if the words you were hearing came to life. That's imagination." She closed her eyes tight as I read on.....

"The Glory of the Lord rose up between the cherubim, where it had rested...."

She stopped me, "I am imagining yellow lightening and lots of goodness"

"Perfect" I said, as I smiled in spite of her seriousness. She tightly closed her eyes again and the journey continued. Me reading her bits and pieces of God's Magical Storybook knit together by the Universe's Greatest Truths. Speaking God-breathed words into the air which were finding their way to the imagination of a four year hold who was making each one come to life in her imagination.

And I envied her. The newness of a child. You cannot re-create that. Hearing the story of Ezekiel for the first time? You only get a "First Time" one tIme. Magical. Not just for her, but for me.

If my current season of life had a lesson attached to it, it would be called Learning to Breath. Something we think we shouldn't have to learn how because it's involuntary. But more times than not, we cease being a volunteer. We stop breathing. Not literally, but deeply figuratively. We become so distracted with living that we forget to learn. I am there. I am here. I am rediscovering Breathing. I am rediscovering Living. I am rediscovering Life. For my reading pleasure? I am rediscovering the spirit of the law of the universe in a book called The Bible, and I have never been more in awe of it's power.

So from the bedside of a fan of Queen Esther to Nana's bed that doubles as an airplane to Hawaii - I invite you back to Imagination and Questions of Wonderment of the Book of Life.

Wanna go on an adventure with me? Rediscover a treasure of old? A book of absolute truth made up of stories of the heart creating a pathway to a lifetime of love and wonderment.................. sound intriguing to you?

Me too : )