Imagination

Imagination. It’s something every child seems to have too much of and every adult too little. Sometimes I wonder why our imaginations seem to shrink as we grow older and I wish I had mine back. However, there is one time when I am totally lost in dream world; when I’m reading a book. Any avid reader knows what I’m talking about for any work of literature, but tonight I want to focus on one particular novel. A few days ago I began reading Kisses from Katie and while I have not quite finished it, my heart has been captured and my mind intrigued. If you’ve not read it (I recommend you do), it tells the story of a young American woman who answers God’s call to move to Uganda with the mission of loving on people. It is a non-fiction book and you might be asking yourself how my imagination could possibly relate to a true story. Well you see, with every word that she writes, I see myself acting it out only not in Uganda but rather in Guatemala. Thus far, I have only been there for one week’s time yet when Katie talks about the beautiful children living in filth I see kids dressed in rags walking along Guatemalan dirt roads. When she watches hundreds of Ugandan kids gather in her front yard I see 40 Guatemalan children running towards me from the school house. When she describes adopting her first daughter and being called “mommy” I see a sweet 5 year old boy that my heart desires to hold. When she talks about the anguish and compassion she feels for each orphaned child, my heart breaks thinking about each kid at Fundaninos Orphanage. But best of all, when she writes about how great God’s love is for each one of them and us, I am in awe at the power of His redemption on every single one of His children.

Guatemala. It has consumed me. I cannot go a day without remembering the precious people I meet there. I cannot contain my imagination as the days to my return inch closer. I cannot read a page of Katie’s book without picturing the country I have come to love so much.